Mental
Health Association in New York State, Inc. |
Community Connections, Fall 2003How
Much Community Violence Are Youth Experiencing? A commonly held belief in the general population is that community violence only happens among gang members in inner-city neighborhoods. Indeed, those of lower socioeconomic status, those who are nonwhite, and those living in densely populated urban areas do appear to bear a disproportionately high burden of violence. However, as has been demonstrated by recent events occurring in diverse middle-class suburban and rural areas including Denver, Colorado; Springfield Oregon; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Granada Hills, California; children from all walks of life and all ages are at risk for exposure to community violence. In a national survey of girls and boys 10 to 16 years old, over one-third reported being the direct victim of different forms of violence including aggravated assault, attempted kidnapping, and sexual assault. Researchers have found that an even higher number of urban children have been exposed to indirect community violence (e.g., they have witnessed violence or know a victim). One study comparing urban elementary school children living in low-violence neighborhoods to those in high-violence neighborhoods found that over 75 percent of those in high-violence neighborhoods had been exposed to community violence. (The study also revealed that there was no significant difference between the low-violence and high-violence neighborhoods when it came to children witnessing violent acts including stabbings, physical assault, and gang violence.) Yet, more than 50 percent of the parents of children living in high-violence neighborhoods stated that their children had not been exposed to violence in the community. Some people think that young children are not psychologically affected by exposure to community violence because they are too young to understand or remember the violence. However, studies have found post traumatic symptoms and disorders among infants and toddlers. Symptoms expressed by children tend to look different from those expressed by adults. Children with PTSD display disorganized or agitated behavior and have nightmares that may include monsters. They may become withdrawn, fearful, or aggressive, and they may have difficulty paying attention. They may regress to earlier behavior such as sucking their thumbs and bed-wetting, and they may develop separation anxiety. They may also engage in play that compulsively reenacts the violence.
posted 9/18/03 |