September 8, 2003

States Identify Children Exposed to Violence

States are stepping up efforts to identify and counsel children who have been exposed to violence at home or on the streets, Independent Arts & Media reported Sept. 2.

Studies show a link between violence exposure and emotional and developmental problems. In San Francisco, Calif., plans are underway to use the federally funded SafeStart Initiative to launch an awareness campaign about the dangers of exposure to domestic violence.

"If we can communicate to both offender and victim that exposing their child to violence is abuse, we believe that they would both be willing to take steps to help," said Alan Fox, director of the San Francisco SafeStart program. "If you can identify these children early enough and intervene early enough, you can reverse all of the effects -- the physiological impact and the emotional impact."

According to the California Attorney General's office, one out of every four children in the state are exposed to violence either as a victim or a witness, but very few seek police or counseling help.

"Domestic-violence programs have traditionally focused exclusively on the primary victims, usually the wife/girlfriend," said Donna Hitchens, the presiding judge of the San Francisco Superior Court and chair of SafeStart's advisory council. "The whole point of SafeStart is to educate the community on the impact of domestic violence on the kids and facilitate system change."