Childhood Exposure to Violence and Trauma

Childhood exposure to violence is pervasive and negatively impacts communities. This includes physical abuse, sexual assault, maltreatment/neglect, domestic violence, and other violent crimes. In their third National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence , the U.S. Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that almost 58% of children and youth between 0 and 17 years old had been exposed to at least one type of violence and 48% had experienced more than one type of victimization within the previous year ¹. In the 2020 edition of the annual Child Maltreatment report series, child protective services agencies found that 618,000 children in the United States were victims of child abuse and neglect; 29% of them were under the age of two ².The U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse suggests that domestic violence may be the single major precursor to child abuse and neglect fatalities in the county ³.

Experiencing or witnessing one or more types of violence can have profound effects on children’s development. For example, children who have been physically abused are at a higher risk for malnutrition, diabetes, and chronic health problems ⁴. Psychological outcomes include diminished executive functioning, poor mental health, and post-traumatic stress disorder.4 Social consequences involve the associated risk of substance dependency, delinquency, teen pregnancy, engaging in risky sexual behaviors, and perpetrating violence. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study demonstrated that childhood maltreatment or trauma can be correlated to later adult health problems and early death ⁵.

However, many children are resilient and can continue to have healthy lives despite exposure. These resilient children often have at least one positive adult role model in their lives ⁶. Furthermore, research shows early interventions for children and families exposed to violence can reduce symptoms related to violence exposure, enhance protective factors, and increase child safety ⁷.