NCJ Number
232125
Date Published
August 2009
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the effects of violence on children, both those who are direct victims and those who witness it on a daily basis, and discusses what programs may be available to decrease the consequences of the exposure to violence.
Abstract
Numerous studies have found that exposure to violence at a young age results in both short-term and long-term consequences for children, affecting them throughout their developmental phases and on into adulthood. These effects include: increased aggression, behavioral disorders, and a greater risk for chronic involvement with the cycle of violence; a greater risk for emotional and anxiety disorders; a greater risk for substance abuse; a greater risk for delayed cognitive, social, and emotional development; and a greater risk for poor academic performance. Four types of violence that children are exposed to are discussed. These were identified by the National Center on Children Exposed to Violence and include community violence, school violence, domestic violence, and media violence. Finally, this paper examines promising approaches that have been developed to mitigate the harmful effects of exposure to violence on children. The programs are aimed at the different types of violence and include: the Child Development-Community Policing Program (CD-CP) and Strategic Home Intervention and Early Leadership Development (SHIELD) program aimed at community violence; re-evaluation of zero-tolerance policies, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), and the Seattle Social Development Project aimed at school violence; increased resources for children in battered women's shelters and early intervention for dating violence education aimed at domestic violence; and encouraging parental and family involvement to reduce children's exposure to media violence. References