A new study published in a recent issue of Pediatrics is reporting that nearly half of all children in the United States are being exposed to violence or abuse. Jointly sponsored by the U,S, Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Protection, and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the study was conducted by a team of researchers from the University of New Hampshire. Based on a nationwide sample of 4,549 children up to the age of seventeen as well as caregivers, the researchers collected information of victimization experiences through direct interviewing. Their results indicated that three out of five children were exposed to violence, abuse, or criminal victimization in the past year. These numbers include 46 percent who had been physically assaulted, 10 percent who had been abused by a caregiver, 6 percent who had been sexually victimized, and 10 percent who had witnessed an assault in their family. More than a third of the children had two or more different kinds of violent exposure in the past year and 11 percent had five or more. In outlining their results, the researchers urge child care workers, teachers, and parents to be more aware of the range of potentially violent situations that children may face, including dating violence and bullying.
In addition to the journal publication, the results have also been released in an Office of Justice Programs/OJJDP bulletin titled "Children's Exposure to Violence: A Comprehensive National Survey."
Comments