Published in Children's Vox Book 23, Number one

by Julie Collins and Emily Swoveland

Over the by few years, gun violence has risen to the forefront of public consciousness. Much of the debate has focused on gun regulation and keeping deadly weapons out of the hands of potential killers, particularly those with mental illnesses. Unfortunately, far less attention has been dedicated to the impact of gun violence on victims. While individuals killed and injured in atrocities such as the Sandy Hook and Aurora Theater shootings are publicly remembered and mourned, victims of these tragedies are non limited to those men, women, and children killed, injured, or present during these horrific events. The consequences of gun violence are more pervasive and impact unabridged communities, families, and children. With more than than 25% of children witnessing an act of violence in their homes, schools, or customs over the by year, and more than 5% witnessing a shooting, information technology becomes not only an issue of gun regulation, just besides of addressing the impact on those who have been traumatized by such violence (Finkelhor et al., 2009).

Although mental health problems are function of the fence about gun regulation, the discussion has focused primarily upon the mental wellness of the perpetrators' of gun crimes. In fact, virtually people with mental illnesses are not violent and are actually more than likely to be victimized than they are to victimize others (Teplin et al, 2005). While much more can be done to address the problems of perpetrators with a mental illness, that conversation alone volition not address the problems associated with gun violence. The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) believes it is time to augment the focus of the gun debate to include the social, emotional, physical, and mental health touch of those traumatized by gun violence, specially children and youth. In their 2002 commodity "Mitigating the Furnishings of Gun Violence on Children and Youth," James Garbarino and his colleagues pointed out that "children exposed to gun violence may experience negative curt and long-term psychological effects, including acrimony, withdrawal, posttraumatic stress, and desensitization to violence" (Garbarino et al., 2002). They also indicate that the research shows that "sure children may be at higher take a chance for negative outcomes if they are exposed to gun violence." The groups they identified "include children injured in gun violence, those who witness violent acts at close proximity, those exposed to loftier levels of violence in their communities or schools, and those exposed to violent media."

Addressing the social, emotional, and physical well-existence and mental health needs of children and youth exposed to gun violence is a complex process that requires proper identification of those exposed. It also requires a sufficient number of providers trained in age-appropriate, evidence-based, and trauma-informed treatments to concurrently understand all of these concerns. In addition, it requires our social club to find ways to reduce the actual numbers of children and youth who are initially exposed to gun violence. This is no easy chore, given the many settings in our globe that contain fierce situations or imagery: schools, homes, communities, and the media.

At CWLA'south 2013 National Briefing, our staff and its Mental Health Advisory Lath brought together professionals in the kid welfare and mental wellness fields for a Listening Session on the topic of gun violence . Together, they started a dialogue near the often ignored bear upon of gun violence on the well-being of children, youth, families, and communities and discussed current efforts to accost this issue; they likewise identified problems encountered in both policy and practice fields, providing suggestions and potential solutions. Influenced by CWLA'due south National Blueprint for Excellence in Child Welfare and its vision for all children and youth to abound up safely, with loving families and supportive communities, the conversation focused on the shared responsibleness of individuals, families, organizations, and communities for ensuring the safety and well-being of children and youth. Specifically, participants focused on the civilisation of violence and fear in many of the communities they serve, the difficulties of combating gun employ and violence, the need for customs development that is focused on reducing violence, the touch on on the children and youth exposed to violence, and what is needed to address the mental health needs of those exposed to gun violence.

Guns and Violence

CWLA'sNational Blueprint voices the demand to protect the fundamental rights of children and emphasizes the obligation that all individuals have in ensuring a safe and supportive environs for children and youth. In line with theNational Blueprint, participants at our 2013 conference discussed the ways that service providers and communities were working to protect the rights of children in human relationship to gun legislation. They also pointed out the necessity of addressing gun regulation and violence at the national level, fighting for legislative protections for children and youth.

Many participants voiced frustration with the role guns currently have in American club and their frequent glorification in the media. They pointed out that gun ownership is seen equally a key American value, and that many citizens feel entitled to gun ownership and dislike interventions that limit their access. Unfortunately, gun buying is often associated with the devastating violence that takes place in communities around the state–especially those in which at that place is a high poverty rate, which can increase the difficulty of preventing gun-based criminal offense. Participants identified that frequent media portrayal of guns glorifies their use and promotes using gun violence equally an adequate means of conflict resolution. They pointed out that the media fails to provide the counter- message that guns are dangerous, should be stored properly, and are not to be used for conflict resolution.

Given the current climate citing personal liberties vis-a-vis the United States Constitution, participants recognized that changing American values regarding gun ownership is an unrealistic goal. They agreed that the focus should be on providing gun educational activity and gun safety training to gun owners and non-owners alike. In improver, communities should accept access to accurate information regarding the realities of gun employ, such as the annual number of gun homicides and the number of children killed by guns. They suggested that efforts must be made to counter the glorified image portrayed in the media by pedagogy proper gun use, illuminating the dangers guns pose to children and youth, and explaining alternatives to gun ownership for ensuring personal and home safety.

Community Culture

Conference participants also voiced concerns nigh the pervasive civilization of fear and violence that exists in many of the commu- nities they serve. At the community level, participants observed that guns are frequently used in response to fearfulness. They pointed out that children and youth living in violent neighborhoods experience at chance; without nonviolent disharmonize-resolution skills, they as well readily depend on guns to solve issues. Garbarino and his colleagues, too, stated that "exposure to gun violence besides can desensitize youth to the furnishings of violence and increase the likelihood that they will use violence as a means of resolving issues or expressing emotions." Oftentimes, it is simply through conveying and using weapons that these youth experience safe, secure, and protected. But despite gun buying, many children and youth remain unprotected from the violence within their communities.

Participants noted that fighting a community's culture is an uphill battle that is netting few positive results. All agreed that when communities, families, children, and youth are empowered to piece of work together and claiming negative values, they can begin to change the culture of violence and reduce community-wide fright. While non a quick procedure, is essential to encourage communities to take ownership of the safety and well-existence of all children, youth, and families. Consistent with the standards in CWLA'sNational Blueprint, conference participants further suggested working one-on-ane with families, children, and youth to help them build their protective factors, develop resiliency, regulate their emotions, strengthen coping strategies, and transform negative life views into ones of hope for a better future. In that location was also widespread agreement about the importance of teaching parents how to model nonviolent behaviors for children and educating them on positive methods of discouraging violent alternatives.

In addition to shifting community acceptance of violence at a micro level past working with families, children, and youth direct, participants suggested that child welfare and mental health agencies must too encourage neighborhood residents to become connected to i some other and oppose violence at the macro level–i.eastward., within the greater community. Agency leaders and those who provide services tin encourage these changes by nurturing residents' social connections and fostering potent social networks within the community. Once united with the larger community, they will exist in a position to more easily influence the needed systematic changes to norms and values.

Effects on Kid Evolution

The consequences of exposure to violence on kid development are very existent. CWLA'sNational Pattern points out that children and youth exposed to chronic trauma can feel inhibited brain development, producing a lasting impact on life outcomes. Likely a result of such exposure, participants noted numerous skill deficits among the children and youth they serve who live in neighborhoods that have high rates of poverty and crime. As suggested by the enquiry, many children experience problems with violence and aggression because they lack nonviolent conflict-resolution skills. Much of this violence and aggression is further exacerbated by emotional overload from exposure to violence. Children and youth exposed to violence experience significant stress, and often struggle to identify and regulate their emotions, as a consequence of developmental impacts from their frequent exposure to trauma. Their emotions are often internalized and tin can later erupt in aggression and violence.

The Listening Session attendees also acknowledged that these skill deficits can be the outcome of children and youth learning behavior through observing and mimicking the actions of those around them. When adults showroom aggressive and violent behavior, such behavior is often interpreted as appropriate and acceptable. A bicycle of violence starts when children and youth discover and cover negative adult behaviors and, eventually, model such interactions with their own children. With much at stake, a laundry list of strategies and supports was offered to address the impact on child development and reduce the negative impact of exposure to violence. Participants lauded the importance of early on, family-level prevention, suggesting that parents must exist assisted in accessing the social services necessary to strengthen protective factors, build resiliency, help their children regulate their emotions, develop coping skills, and provide physical and psychological safe.

Participants besides identified numerous skills that must exist taught directly to children and youth afflicted past violence to reduce the touch on of traumatic stress, including conflict-resolution skills that demonstrate simple problem-solving techniques that are nonviolent and/or force-aversive. In add-on to developing communication skills, children and youth demand to exist taught to place and regulate their emotions; in one case they better sympathize their emotions and how they affect their beliefs, they can larn how to appropriately respond to their feelings in ways that are not harmful to themselves or others.

Mental Health Concerns

The Listening Session attendees recognized that until child and youth exposure to violence is eliminated, childhood mental health bug will probable continue to grow. The grouping noted that they are witnessing dramatic growth in the number of children and youth with mental wellness problems, and that service providers must actively work to educate the public on childhood mental illness. Mental disease continues to exist stigmatized, and public hesitancy to discuss the thing is detrimental to children and youth who are impacted by mental health problems. It was farther noted that many parents, teachers, and workers are often uneducated regarding mental wellness conditions and, every bit a outcome, fail to identify early signs of mental illness, delaying child and youth access to treatment. Information technology was pointed out that even once treatment is received and a diagnosis is given, many adults lack noesis nigh specific mental illnesses and are unsure of how to interact with children and youth with a mental health problem. Without proper educational activity, parents, teachers, and other well- meaning figures may unknowingly exacerbate a child or youth's mental health problems.

In improver to reducing risk factors and developing protective factors and resiliency amidst youth currently suffering from mental health problems, professionals agreed that communities must likewise help children and youth at-risk of mental health problems develop protective factors to shield them from the negative mental wellness outcomes that oft event from exposure to traumatic life events.

Summing it Up

Preventing babyhood exposure to violence and mitigating the impact of previous exposure is too big a chore for whatever one group or organization. Child welfare, prevention, and mental wellness agencies cannot tackle this trouble alone. Agencies must embrace the bulletin of CWLA's National Pattern and encourage communities to take responsibility for the well-beingness of children and youth. Combating the negative impact of violence on children and youth requires the collaboration of teachers, principals, social workers, police force officers, doctors, parents, friends, and more. Each person has a role to play, exist it screening for exposure to violence, mitigating the bear on of violence through emotional support, or preventing violence through community activism and policy initiatives. Only when all facets of gild recognize the true negative impact that exposure to violence has on the well-being of children, youth, families, and communities, and actively work to address this problem, will substantive change take identify.

While it volition accept collaboration betwixt various agencies and specific communities for a significant drib in child and youth exposure to violence to occur, many professionals are actively fighting this battle. Doctors around the country are talking to parents of young children nigh gun safe and protecting their children from harm. Teachers, principals, and school administrators are actively working with students, reinforcing pro-social behaviors and teaching conflict-resolution skills. Religious figures of all faiths are educational activity children and youth about loving themselves, others, and their communities, and about how to be morally centered people. Social workers are educating parents on positive childrearing to reduce exposure to domestic violence and other home-based traumas. Lobbyists and politicians are fighting for legislation that increases access to mental health services and limits public access to guns.

All of these professionals, and many more, are actively working to reduce violence and improve the well-being of children and youth across the country. Individually, they make small but meaningful contributions to the effort, but together, equally a united front, these individuals and agencies can make a pregnant bear upon in the lives of children and youth exposed to violence in their homes, at their schools, and in their communities. Recent incidents like the Fort Hood shooting once once again raise the effect of gun violence. Although this happened on a military base, children, youth, families, and the surrounding communities take all been impacted. While the issue of gun violence seems stalled in this current Congress, it continues to be a cardinal concern for all of u.s..

CWLA'south Listening Session helped brainstorm the dialogue on electric current efforts to preclude child and youth exposure to violence and mitigate the touch on of previous exposure. Now is the time for all to come together and finish this discussion. n

Julie Collins is CWLA's Director of Standards for Practice Excellence. Emily Swoveland served every bit an intern at CWLA in 2013. The authors offer special thank you to Linda Spears and Andrea Bartolo.

References

Garbarino, J., Bradshaw, C.P., & Vorrasi, J.A. (2002). Mitigating the Effects of Gun Violence on Children and Youth.The Time to come of Children, 12(2), 73-87. Retrieved fromhttps://world wide web.princeton.edu/futureofchildren/publications/docs/12_02_05.pdf.

Finkelhor, D., et al. (2009). Children's Exposure to Violence: A Comprehensive National Survey.Juvenile Justice Message, October 2009. Retrieved fromhttps://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/227744.pdf.

Teplin, L., et al. (2005). Criminal offence Victimization in Adults With Severe Mental Disease: Comparison With the National Crime Victimization Survey.Archives of Full general Psychiatry, 62, 911-921.

To annotate on this article, eastward-mail service vocalization@cwla.org.