Exposures to violence and trauma among children and adolescents

Abstract

Children and adolescents (youth) may be exposed to various forms of violence and trauma in a number of ways. Research and clinical stud ies have revealed that youth may be significantly impacted by isolated, single or repetitive exposures to violence and trauma. Further, these exposures may ultimately impact the overall psycho-social-emotional, and mental health, as well as, the mental health care of this population of youth who self-report, who are at-risk and who may or may not be at risk for exposure to violence and trauma in their lives. Thus, consequently, health care providers (HCP’s) who do not view or understand that exposures to vio lence and trauma among youth, as well as, exposures to adverse environments or situations may pose as a serious or potential psycho social-emotional and mental health care con- sequence for this population of youth may in- advertently impede or delay timely access to appropriate health care for this population. Hence, as a consequence of this delay in timely access to appropriate psycho-social-emotional and mental health care services for this popula tion of youth, may significantly compromise their overall psycho-social-emotional and men tal health care status. This article reviews the impact of exposures to violence and trauma among youth, with a focus on current empirical findings noted in the literature regarding victimized and traumatized children and adolescents, and the implications of these findings in promoting the healing and restoration for this population of youth for HCP’s. In addition, a brief discussion of an empirical evidence-based psycho-social-emotional intervention/project referred to as The Safer Tomorrows: Injury Prevention and Violence Reduction Project ©   which has been designed for children and adolescents who may or may not be at-risk for exposures to violence and trauma is presented. The importance of early identification, screening, assess ment and treatment among victimized and trau matized children and adolescents are also addressed.