NCJ Number
217807
Journal
Prevention Researcher Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2007 Pages: 3-7
Date Published
February 2007
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article provides a brief overview of the prevalence of youth victimization and violence exposure, the impact of youth victimization on mental health outcomes, and the implications of research findings in the areas of prevention, intervention, and public policy.
Abstract
A large body of research documents the high prevalence of different forms of youth victimization with findings revealing that 50 to 70 percent of American youth report experiencing at least one type of direct or indirect victimization in their lifetime, such as sexual assault, physical assault, physical abuse, witnessing violence, emotional abuse and neglect, property crime, and bullying. However, most child victimizations are never formally reported and never become part of official statistics. Extensive research also indicates that experiencing victimization or violence exposure in childhood is a significant risk factor for many psychosocial, behavioral, and health problems that occur from childhood to adulthood. Childhood victimization has been found to be associated with increased rates of posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, medical problems, problematic substance use, suicidal thoughts, and delinquent behavior. These findings from accumulated empirical research have implications for guiding prevention, intervention, and public policy efforts for youth. The article concludes by outlining these implications with recommendations presented in the areas of prevention, intervention, and public policy. Table, references