Witnessing Violence

Common Behavioral and Physical Responses to Witnessing Violence

Abstract: Common Behavioral and Physical Responses to Witnessing Violence. HEALTHY KIDS. from:   http://www.nhsa.org/program/healthy/healthy_violence_sidebar.htm

Violence Is Entering Young Children's Lives in Different Ways

This article appeared in the Summer 2001 issue of NHSA's Children and Families magazine along with useful tips. We hope the information will be useful to support children and their families as we deal with on-going violence in our nation's communities and new threats of violence from beyond our borders.

Enhancing the Mental Health of Young Children- How educators can respond to children who have been affected by community violence

By Elena P. Cohen

Director, National Child Welfare Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice Head Start children are increasingly being affected by violence. They may experience it indirectly by seeing it in the media or by witnessing violence against their friends, their family members, or the people in their communities. Or they may experience it directly by being the victims of violent acts. Either way, these experiences can have lasting effects on their development. The explosion of violence in some communities, including the string of school shootings in suburban and rural areas, has made this issue a public health concern. As a Head Start or Early Head Start teacher or home visitor, you should be ready to help a child who has been exposed to violence.

How does violence affect development?

Elena P. Cohen is the director of the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Family-CenteredPractice. She has been developing resources and providing training, technical assistance to Early Head Start, Head Start, and other family support and community-based programs to support families and early childhood staff in promoting the emotional well-being of young children. Using the Safe Havens Training Project educational materials, The National Child Welfare Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice is working with the New York Head Start Collaboration Project, the New York University Quality Improvement Center, and Family Communications Inc. to help Early Head Start and Head Start Programs in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania work with children, families, and staff members who have witnessed violence. For information on the Safe Havens Training Project, contact Family Communications Inc. at (412) 687-2990 or visit www.misterrogers.org.

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Updated: 01/11/2007