Introduction,,,,
The communities that children grow up in can have a profound effect on the adults they become. Many children are raised in calm and supportive environments with a wealth of resources. At the other end of the spectrum, millions of children grow up under conditions of adversity. This often translates into the absence of basic resources necessary for development. But adversity can also reflect heightened exposure to negative events that shape life outcomes.
internationally, too many children and youth experience high levels of community violence exposure. For example, in a nationwide survey in the U.S., 55% of adolescents reported some type of exposure to community violence.2 In the U.S. at this time, homicide is the second leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and 24, although this figure includes family violence and other types of violent victimization.3 These high rates extend to involvement with lesser types of violence. For example, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey,
Recent Research Findings,,,
What is the impact of violence exposure on child development? One clear message is that “violence begets violence”– children who experience violence are more likely to become ensnared in a cycle of violence that leads to future violent behaviour, including aggression, delinquency, violent crime and child abuse.4 This holds true for all types of childhood violence exposure including, but not limited to, community violence.
violence exposure has been shown to contribute to mental health problems , Psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)...
Studies typically find gender differences in outcomes, with boys becoming more aggressive and girls becoming more depressed as a result of community violence exposure.
Violence exposure influences development across multiple domains and at different stages. It can impact children’s neurological,physical, emotional, and social development.
As these patterns of cognition become increasingly stable over time, they can lead to characteristic patterns of thinking and action associated with aggressive and violent behaviour.
Research Gaps,,
Although prior studies have addressed the importance of the broader ecological context, it still is the case that most studies examine the effects of violence exposure within a single context. Further, children and youth exposed to high levels of community violence typically experience other stressors or risk factors in their communities, families or among peers.
Conclusions,,,In the U.S. and internationally, children frequently are exposed to high levels of community violence. Recent surveys estimate that more than 50% of children and youth have experienced some level of community violence exposure. This experience has been shown to have a negative impact on development leading to increased emotional, social, and behavioural problems.
Still, most youth who grow up in violent settings do not develop mental health or behaviour problems, although more research is needed to understand specific processes of resilience.
Implications for Parents, Services and Policy,,,
It goes without saying that the most important response to community violence exposure is to work collaboratively to reduce violence in the settings where children grow up. There are many examples of community-based strategies to reduce violence that have been effective. Parents can also limit children’s exposure to violence, even in more violent neighbourhoods, by carefully monitoring and supervising their activities.
References
1. Richters, J. E., and Martinez, P. E. (1993). The NIMH community violence project: I. Children as victims of and witnesses to violence. Psychiatry, 56, 7-21.
2. McCart, M., Smith, D. W., Saunders, B. E., et al. (2007). Do urban adolescence become desensitized to community violence? Data from a National Survey. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 77, 3, 434-442
3- Guerra, N. G., Huesmann, L. R., & Spindler, A. (2003). Community violence exposure, social cognition, and aggression among urban elementary-school children. Child Development, 74, 1507-1522.
4- Guerra, N. G. (1997). Intervening to prevent childhood aggression in the inner city. In J. McCord (Ed.), Violence and childhood in the inner city (pp. 256-312). Guggenheim Foundation/Cambridge University Press.
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