Safe From the Start: Taking Action on Children Exposed to Violence

• NCJ Number: 182789
• Date Published: November 2000
• Author(s): Wendy B. Jacobson
• Length: 76 pages
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Issue Overview

Annotation

This is an Action Plan created by the National Summit on Children Exposed to Violence to understand and address children’s exposure to violence.

Abstract

Efforts to address children’s exposure to violence should reflect a commitment to common goals; be grounded in a full understanding of the issues and challenges involved; be based in fact; fully integrate prevention, intervention and accountability measures; and work across disciplines. The Summit defined a series of eight operating principles: (1) Work Together (collaborative practices and collaborative leadership); (2) Begin Earlier (reach at-risk families even before the child is born); (3) Think Developmentally (consider the changing needs of children exposed to violence at different stages in their lives and recognize that it is possible to help an older child overcome the impact of violence that occurred years ago); (4) Make Mothers Safe to Keep Children Safe; (5) Enforce the Law; (6) Make Adequate Resources Available; (7) Work From a Sound Knowledge Base; and (8) Create a Culture of Nonviolence. The Action Plan discusses critical steps that agencies, communities and individuals can take to achieve cultural change. Notes, resources