Defending Childhood
Defending Childhood Partners
The Attorney General's National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence has released their final report and recommendations.
Executive Summary (PDF)
Full Report (PDF) | ePub | MOBI
The Attorney General's Task Force on American Indian/Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence has released their final report and recommendations.
Executive Summary (PDF)
Full report (PDF) | ePub | MOBI
This website, funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), provides resources to stop child abuse and end child trauma in the United States. Information on the eight Defending Childhood Initiative communities is also provided.
The best way to help children is to make sure that they feel safe (for example, creating a predictable environment, encouraging them to express their feelings by listening and hearing their stories) and ensuring that they know that the violence they witnessed or experienced was not their fault. Ways you can help children cope with the impact of exposure to violence include:
- Remaining calm and reinforcing a stable and safe environment;
- Keeping a regular schedule or routine for meals, quiet time, playtime, and bedtime;
- Helping children prepare for changes and new experiences;
- Spending more time together as a family;
- Being patient and letting children identify and express feelings; and
- Providing extra attention, comfort, and encouragement.
Teachers can play a critical role in preventing and reducing the impact of exposure to violence on children. They can help children by creating a predictable environment, listening to students' stories, and assuring children and adolescents that whatever happened was not their fault. Specific ways to help children exposed to violence include knowing and watching for signs of possible exposure to violence. No single behavior proves that a child has been exposed to violence, but teachers can watch for:
- Physical signs such as bruises;
- Unexplained changes in behavior; and
- Emotional signs such as depression, mood swings, and fearful or anxious behavior.