Published in Children's Voice Volume 23, Number 1

by Julie Collins and Emily Swoveland

Over the by few years, gun violence has risen to the forefront of public consciousness. Much of the argue has focused on gun regulation and keeping mortiferous weapons out of the hands of potential killers, particularly those with mental illnesses. Unfortunately, far less attention has been defended to the touch on 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 not limited to those men, women, and children killed, injured, or present during these horrific events. The consequences of gun violence are more pervasive and affect entire communities, families, and children. With more than than 25% of children witnessing an act of violence in their homes, schools, or customs over the past year, and more than five% witnessing a shooting, it becomes not just an issue of gun regulation, merely also of addressing the touch on on those who have been traumatized past such violence (Finkelhor et al., 2009).

Although mental health problems are part of the contend nearly gun regulation, the discussion has focused primarily upon the mental health of the perpetrators' of gun crimes. In fact, most people with mental illnesses are not tearing and are actually more likely to be victimized than they are to victimize others (Teplin et al, 2005). While much more than can be washed to accost the problems of perpetrators with a mental illness, that chat solitary will non accost the problems associated with gun violence. The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) believes it is time to broaden the focus of the gun debate to include the social, emotional, concrete, and mental wellness touch of those traumatized by gun violence, peculiarly children and youth. In their 2002 article "Mitigating the Effects of Gun Violence on Children and Youth," James Garbarino and his colleagues pointed out that "children exposed to gun violence may experience negative short and long-term psychological effects, including anger, withdrawal, posttraumatic stress, and desensitization to violence" (Garbarino et al., 2002). They also indicate that the research shows that "certain children may be at college risk 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 high levels of violence in their communities or schools, and those exposed to violent media."

Addressing the social, emotional, and concrete well-being and mental wellness needs of children and youth exposed to gun violence is a complex process that requires proper identification of those exposed. It as well requires a sufficient number of providers trained in age-advisable, evidence-based, and trauma-informed treatments to concurrently understand all of these concerns. In improver, information technology requires our order to find ways to reduce the actual numbers of children and youth who are initially exposed to gun violence. This is no piece of cake task, given the many settings in our globe that contain violent situations or imagery: schools, homes, communities, and the media.

At CWLA's 2013 National Conference, our staff and its Mental Health Advisory Lath brought together professionals in the child welfare and mental health fields for a Listening Session on the topic of gun violence . Together, they started a dialogue about the often ignored touch of gun violence on the well-being of children, youth, families, and communities and discussed current efforts to address this issue; they also identified problems encountered in both policy and practice fields, providing suggestions and potential solutions. Influenced by CWLA's National Blueprint for Excellence in Child Welfare and its vision for all children and youth to grow upward safely, with loving families and supportive communities, the chat focused on the shared responsibility of individuals, families, organizations, and communities for ensuring the prophylactic 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 use and violence, the need for customs evolution that is focused on reducing violence, the bear upon on the children and youth exposed to violence, and what is needed to accost the mental health needs of those exposed to gun violence.

Guns and Violence

CWLA'sNational Design voices the need to protect the fundamental rights of children and emphasizes the obligation that all individuals accept in ensuring a condom and supportive environment for children and youth. In line with theNational Blueprint, participants at our 2013 conference discussed the means that service providers and communities were working to protect the rights of children in 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 accept in American society and their frequent glorification in the media. They pointed out that gun ownership is seen as a key American value, and that many citizens feel entitled to gun buying and dislike interventions that limit their access. Unfortunately, gun ownership is oft associated with the devastating violence that takes identify in communities effectually the country–especially those in which there is a loftier poverty rate, which can increase the difficulty of preventing gun-based offense. Participants identified that frequent media portrayal of guns glorifies their use and promotes using gun violence equally an acceptable means of conflict resolution. They pointed out that the media fails to provide the counter- bulletin that guns are unsafe, should be stored properly, and are not to be used for disharmonize resolution.

Given the current climate citing personal liberties vis-a-vis the Us Constitution, participants recognized that changing American values regarding gun ownership is an unrealistic goal. They agreed that the focus should exist on providing gun education and gun condom training to gun owners and non-owners alike. In addition, communities should have admission to accurate information regarding the realities of gun use, 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 prototype portrayed in the media past teaching proper gun use, illuminating the dangers guns pose to children and youth, and explaining alternatives to gun ownership for ensuring personal and habitation safety.

Community Culture

Conference participants besides voiced concerns near the pervasive culture of fear and violence that exists in many of the commu- nities they serve. At the customs level, participants observed that guns are oftentimes used in response to fear. They pointed out that children and youth living in fierce neighborhoods feel at take chances; without nonviolent conflict-resolution skills, they also readily depend on guns to solve issues. Garbarino and his colleagues, likewise, stated that "exposure to gun violence also can desensitize youth to the effects of violence and increase the likelihood that they will apply violence as a ways of resolving problems or expressing emotions." Often, information technology is only through carrying 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 civilization is an uphill battle that is netting few positive results. All agreed that when communities, families, children, and youth are empowered to work together and claiming negative values, they can begin to change the culture of violence and reduce customs-wide fear. While not a quick procedure, is essential to encourage communities to take ownership of the prophylactic and well-being of all children, youth, and families. Consistent with the standards in CWLA'sNational Blueprint, conference participants further suggested working ane-on-one 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. At that place was also widespread agreement nigh the importance of education 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 by working with families, children, and youth directly, participants suggested that kid welfare and mental wellness agencies must also encourage neighborhood residents to become connected to ane another and oppose violence at the macro level–i.e., within the greater community. Bureau leaders and those who provide services tin can encourage these changes past nurturing residents' social connections and fostering potent social networks within the customs. Once united with the larger customs, they volition exist in a position to more than easily influence the needed systematic changes to norms and values.

Effects on Kid Development

The consequences of exposure to violence on child development are very real. CWLA'due southNational Blueprint points out that children and youth exposed to chronic trauma can feel inhibited brain development, producing a lasting impact on life outcomes. Likely a effect 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 inquiry, many children feel bug with violence and aggression because they lack nonviolent conflict-resolution skills. Much of this violence and aggression is further exacerbated past emotional overload from exposure to violence. Children and youth exposed to violence experience pregnant stress, and oftentimes struggle to identify and regulate their emotions, every bit a effect of developmental impacts from their frequent exposure to trauma. Their emotions are frequently internalized and tin can after erupt in aggression and violence.

The Listening Session attendees also acknowledged that these skill deficits can be the result of children and youth learning beliefs through observing and mimicking the actions of those around them. When adults exhibit ambitious and violent behavior, such behavior is often interpreted as appropriate and adequate. A cycle of violence starts when children and youth observe and embrace negative adult behaviors and, eventually, model such interactions with their own children. With much at pale, 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, family-level prevention, suggesting that parents must be assisted in accessing the social services necessary to strengthen protective factors, build resiliency, assist their children regulate their emotions, develop coping skills, and provide physical and psychological safety.

Participants also identified numerous skills that must be taught directly to children and youth affected by violence to reduce the impact of traumatic stress, including conflict-resolution skills that demonstrate unproblematic problem-solving techniques that are nonviolent and/or force-aversive. In addition to developing communication skills, children and youth need to be taught to place and regulate their emotions; in one case they better empathise their emotions and how they affect their behavior, they can learn how to appropriately respond to their feelings in means 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 wellness problems volition likely continue to grow. The group noted that they are witnessing dramatic growth in the number of children and youth with mental health issues, and that service providers must actively work to educate the public on babyhood mental affliction. Mental illness continues to exist stigmatized, and public hesitancy to hash out the matter is detrimental to children and youth who are impacted by mental health problems. It was further noted that many parents, teachers, and workers are often uneducated regarding mental health atmospheric condition and, as a result, neglect to identify early signs of mental disease, delaying child and youth access to handling. It was pointed out that fifty-fifty once treatment is received and a diagnosis is given, many adults lack knowledge well-nigh specific mental illnesses and are unsure of how to interact with children and youth with a mental health problem. Without proper teaching, parents, teachers, and other well- meaning figures may unknowingly exacerbate a child or youth'due south mental health issues.

In addition to reducing risk factors and developing protective factors and resiliency among youth currently suffering from mental wellness problems, professionals agreed that communities must too assist children and youth at-risk of mental wellness issues develop protective factors to shield them from the negative mental health outcomes that oftentimes result from exposure to traumatic life events.

Summing information technology Upward

Preventing childhood exposure to violence and mitigating the impact of previous exposure is too large a job for any one group or arrangement. Child welfare, prevention, and mental health agencies cannot tackle this trouble solitary. Agencies must cover the message of CWLA'south National Blueprint and encourage communities to take responsibility for the well-being of children and youth. Combating the negative impact of violence on children and youth requires the collaboration of teachers, principals, social workers, police officers, doctors, parents, friends, and more. Each person has a office to play, be it screening for exposure to violence, mitigating the bear on of violence through emotional support, or preventing violence through community activism and policy initiatives. Merely when all facets of social club recognize the true negative touch on that exposure to violence has on the well-being of children, youth, families, and communities, and actively piece of work to address this problem, will substantive change take identify.

While it will take collaboration between various agencies and specific communities for a meaning drop in kid and youth exposure to violence to occur, many professionals are actively fighting this battle. Doctors around the country are talking to parents of immature children about gun rubber and protecting their children from harm. Teachers, principals, and schoolhouse administrators are actively working with students, reinforcing pro-social behaviors and teaching conflict-resolution skills. Religious figures of all faiths are teaching children and youth nearly loving themselves, others, and their communities, and near how to be morally centered people. Social workers are educating parents on positive childrearing to reduce exposure to domestic violence and other habitation-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 land. Individually, they make minor but meaningful contributions to the effort, simply together, as a united front end, these individuals and agencies can make a significant impact in the lives of children and youth exposed to violence in their homes, at their schools, and in their communities. Contempo incidents like the Fort Hood shooting again raise the issue of gun violence. Although this happened on a military base, children, youth, families, and the surrounding communities have all been impacted. While the effect of gun violence seems stalled in this current Congress, information technology continues to be a central business organization for all of us.

CWLA's Listening Session helped brainstorm the dialogue on electric current efforts to preclude kid and youth exposure to violence and mitigate the impact of previous exposure. At present is the time for all to come together and stop this give-and-take. n

Julie Collins is CWLA's Director of Standards for Do Excellence. Emily Swoveland served as an intern at CWLA in 2013. The authors offer special thanks 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 Hereafter of Children, 12(ii), 73-87. Retrieved fromhttps://www.princeton.edu/futureofchildren/publications/docs/12_02_05.pdf.

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

Teplin, L., et al. (2005). Crime Victimization in Adults With Severe Mental Illness: Comparison With the National Crime Victimization Survey.Athenaeum of General Psychiatry, 62, 911-921.

To comment on this article, email vocalism@cwla.org.