How to Protect Children and Teens From Exposure to Violence
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Health Tip of the Week Children of all ages are exposed to violence in concerning numbers each year, and that exposure brings with it a risk of lasting harm.
The Violence Prevention Initiative (VPI) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia works to reduce early exposure to violence and to make support and interventions available to reduce the impact when children are exposed to or are the victims of violence. In this article, VPI's experts share key findings and suggestions for parents.
Any child may be exposed to violence, but some children and families face the particular challenges of living in communities where repeated exposure to violence is unfortunately common.
A 2015 study found that:
These experiences of violence can have lasting effects on children as they develop and age. Repeated exposure to violence is associated with physiologic and brain changes that may affect behavior and health. The effects can appear in adolescence as higher risks for school failure or substance abuse, and as an increase in violent behavior or being re-victimized. Some ways of tempering these effects are mentioned in sections below.
The risk of negative effects from exposure to violence is higher among children who have diagnoses of ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, major depression and other conditions that may lead them to be more impulsive and to have difficulty reading social cues.
If your child has been exposed to violence, either as a victim or a witness, watch for signs of trauma. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network offers the following list of indicators. If your child shows two or more, you may want to consider a professional assessment.
The first step is to protect children from exposure to violence. That starts in the home with education and other interventions to promote respectful relationships with our children and our partners, and the adoption of positive discipline techniques. Children raised in a respectful and supportive environment at home are less likely to engage in abusive or bullying behavior with peers. It also involves working to help make all communities safe for children.
But we can’t protect our children from all exposure to violence when they are among peers or out in the community. When children are victims of or witness violence, the next step is to address the traumatic impact. Research by experts at CHOP’s Violence Prevention Initiative (VPI) and others have found a number of factors and measures to be helpful, including:
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Finkelhor et al., “Prevalence of Childhood Exposure to Violence, Crime, and Abuse.” JAMA Pediatrics. August 2015.
Laura Vega, “We Are All Part of the Solution to Prevent Violence in Philadelphia.” Center for Injury Research and Prevention. August 22, 2019
Contributed by: Joel A. Fein, MD, MPH
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