The Child Advocate

Effects of Violence

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EFFECTS OF VIOLENCE

ON

CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Summary by C. Petersen

EVERY THREE HOURS

A GUN KILLS

A CHILD

Children's Defense Fund, 2002

FACTORS RELATED TO VIOLENCE

POVERTY

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR

DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE

Petersen 2002

Juveniles accounted for 12.2 percent of arrests for serious violent crime in 2000.

Uniform Crime Reports (October 2001)

The number of American high school students who reported having carried a weapon on school property in the past month is seven percent.

U.S. Department of Education, U. S. Department of Justice, Indicators of School Crime and Safety 2001

One out of every 18 victims of violent crime, and one of every 3 victims of sexual assault, is under age 12.

U.S. Department of Justice, Juvenile Justice Bulletin (May 2000)

The highest victimization rates were for infants and toddlers age three and younger.

US Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau, 1999

One-third of all victims

of physical abuse are

under one year of age.

DHHS, 1992

Every day in America 7,883 children are reported abused or neglected.

Children's Defense Fund 2002

Firearms killed 3,365 children and teens age 19 and under in 1999-that's 9 children every day.

Children's Defense Fund, Protect Children Instead of Guns 2001

Nearly 7 million children are home alone after school each week.

K. Smith (2000), Who's Minding the Kids?

TRAUMA INTERVENTION FOR
EXPOSURE TO VIOLENCE

1 Protect children from excitment such as media, police and onlookers.

2 Reunite children with parents immediately for comfort.

3 Do not interview children until later.

4 Call in the clinicians.

5 Coordinate police officers and clinicians.

6 Provide on call support for caregivers.

7 Extend response to community.

S. Marans, 1994

INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION

family centered approach

change national attitudes

comprehensive public policy

Zero to Three Violence Study, 1993

PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION

Child advocacy

Quality child care

Services for infants and toddlers

Public health and mental health programs

Coordination of child agencies

Standardized systems for assessing abuse and neglect

Kids Count Project

Petersen 2002

POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Exposure to trauma

Intense fear, helplessness or horror

Reexperience, avoidance and arousal

REEXPERIENCE

1 Distressing recollections

2 Repeated dreams

3 Sense of repeating event

4 Distressing reminders

5 Reacting to traumatic cues

AVOIDANCE

1 Thoughts and feelings

2 Activities, places, or people

3 Inability to recall

4 Decrease in activities

5 Detachment from others

6 Limited feelings

7 Lack of future

AROUSAL

1 Insomnia

2 Irritability or anger outbursts

3 Difficulty concentrating

4 Increased vigilance

5 Exaggerated startle

DURATION

More than one month

IMPAIRMENT OR DISTRESS

ACUTE OR CHRONIC

More or less than 3 months

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