Community outreach for children exposed to violence

Abstract

Children are traumatized by community and domestic-violence exposure as victims and witnesses. Being exposed to violence and being abused also can doubly traumatize them. Information on the effects of violence exposure on children is presented in this article, including developmental implications, resultant behaviors, and the most extreme reaction, posttraumatic stress disorder. Parental and caregiver traumatization also are discussed. Prevention and early intervention are very important both to reduce exposure to violence and to reach children shortly after exposure. An innovative program, the Violence Intervention Program for Children and Families, which is designed to work with police officers as first responders as a way to reach traumatized children earlier, is presented. The importance of community outreach for better prevention and intervention is emphasized. The conclusion stresses that, for infants and toddlers who may not have language to express how they are feeling, it is important to be sensitive to the unique experience and meaning of violence exposure for that child.