New Comprehensive Report on Children’s Exposure to Violence
November 6, 2009 -Most of our nation’s children are exposed to violence in their daily lives according to a new report based on the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence, which is sponsored by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report reveals that more than 60 percent of children surveyed were exposed to violence within the past year, either directly or indirectly.
The survey used for the study is the first attempt to measure children’s exposure to violence in the home, school, and community across all age groups from birth to age 17. It is also the first time in which the cumulative exposure to violence over a child’s lifetime was attempted to be measured. Report findings suggest that children’s exposure to violence is pervasive and crosses all ages.
The survey asked screening questions about 48 types of victimization in the following categories: conventional crime; child maltreatment; peer and sibling victimization; sexual victimization; witnessing and indirect victimization; school violence and threat; and Internet violence and victimization. Results indicate, for instance, that the types of exposure that were most prevalent among younger children were less serious, such as assaults without a weapon or without injury, assaults by a juvenile sibling, or bullying and teasing, all of which were most common among six- to nine-year-olds. Older adolescents ages 14 to 17 were most likely to experience most serious forms of violence such as sexual victimizations and physical and emotional abuse.
According to the report, children react to exposure to violence in different ways, and many children show remarkable resilience. All too often, however, children who are exposed to violence experience lasting physical, mental and emotional problems. They suffer with difficulties with attachment, regressive behavior, anxiety and depression, and aggression and conduct problems. In addition, they may be more prone to dating violence, delinquency, further victimization, and involvement with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Moreover, being exposed to violence may impair a child’s capacity for partnering and parenting later in life, continuing the cycle of violence into the next generation.
Bullying, for instance, is a serious problem in schools and affects the lives of millions of children and youth. The survey used in the study looked at several types of bullying: physical, emotional, and Internet based. Overall, 13.2 percent of those surveyed reported having been physically bullied within the past year, and more than one in five reported having being physically bullied during their lifetimes. The highest incidence of bullying occurs among six- to nine-year-olds. Internet harassment was less common than other forms of bullying and the peak risk period was ages 14 to 17. In addition, boys were more likely than girls to be physically bullied or threatened, but girls were more likely to be victims of Internet harassment. For lifetime rates, nevertheless, girls reported more cumulative exposure to emotional bullying than boys.
On Tuesday, November 10, 2009, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau will be hosting a webcast on bullying: “What You Need to Know to Stop Bullying Now! in Your School and Community. Presenters will include Dr. Susan Limber, PhD, professor and bullying prevention researcher of the Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life, Clemson University, and Norris Dickard, Director of National Programs, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. The webcast will be held from 2:00 – 3:00 pm EST. To register, click here.
To learn more about the OJJDP report, click here.