After documenting the scope and prevalence of the types of violence to which children are exposed in the United States, along with the nature and effects of the trauma violence induces in children's lives, this report provides a "blueprint" for action by the Federal Government, States, Tribes, communities, and the private sector to increase and coordinate research and resources to defend children against exposure to violence.
The report is authored by the U.S. Attorney General's National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence. The report emphasizes that exposure to violence in any form harms children, and different forms of violence have different adverse impacts. The types of violence to which children may be directly or indirectly exposed are identified as sexual abuse, physical abuse, intimate partner violence, and community violence. The task-force's findings and recommendations are organized into six chapters. The first chapter presents an overview of the problem and outlines 10 foundational recommendations. They pertain to Federal leadership and action in addressing this issue; the engagement of youth as leaders and peer experts in defending children against violence and its effects; increasing public awareness and urgency of this issue; incorporating evidence-based, trauma-informed principles in all applicable Federal grant requirements; the promotion of professional education and training on this issue; improvement in related data collection; the creation of national centers of excellence on children's exposure to violence; and public policy initiatives in State, Tribal, and local governments. The next two chapters present ways to ensure reliable identification, screening, and assessment of all children exposed to violence, followed by appropriate support, treatment, and services. The fourth and fifth chapters focus on the integration of prevention, intervention, and resilience across systems. The sixth chapter calls for a new approach to juvenile justice that takes into account violence-related trauma and its treatment. 99 references and an overview of task force activities and witnesses along with biographies of task force members