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January 13, 1993, Vol 269, No. 2 >
ARTICLE | January 13, 1993

Silent Victims Children Who Witness Violence FREE

Betsy McAlister Groves, MSW; Barry Zuckerman, MD; Steven Marans, MSW; Donald J. Cohen, MD
[+] Author Affiliations

Reprint requests to Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Boston City Hospital, Talbot 214, 818 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02118 (Ms Groves).


JAMA. 1993;269(2):262-264. doi:10.1001/jama.1993.03500020096039
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References

THE CRISIS of violence in the United States has expanded to include more than the traditional emphasis on the victim and perpetrator. We would like to bring attention to a previously underrecognized group of victims in this public health epidemic: the children who witness the violence. These usually silent, indirect victims show no physical sign of harm and are commonly overlooked. In urban pediatric practices, clinicians increasingly are told that their young patients hear gunshots outside their homes, witness shootings on the playground, or have a family member (often an older sibling) involved with violence. Recent studies support this. One of every 10 children attending Boston (Mass) City Hospital pediatric primary care clinic witnessed a shooting or stabbing before the age of 6 years,1 half in the home, half on the streets. The average age of the children in this study was 2.7 years. A survey of elementary-school-aged children

REFERENCES

1 +
Taylor L, Zuckerman B, Harik V, Groves B.  Exposure to violence among inner city parents and young children. AJDC . 1992;;146:487.
2 +
Osofsky J, Wewer S, Hann DM, Fick AC. Cited in: Can They Feel Safe Again? The Impact of Community Violence on Infants, Toddlers, Their Parents and Practitioners: Zero to Three . Arlington, Va: National Center for Clinical Infant Programs; 1992;.
3 +
Pynoos RS, Eth S.  Children traumatized by witnessing acts of personal violence: homicide, rape or suicide behavior.  In: Eth S, Pynoos, RS, eds. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children . Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press; 1985;:19-43.
4 +
Jaffe PG, Wolfe DA, Wilson SK. Children of Battered Women . Newbury Park, Calif: Sage Press; 1990;:20.
5 +
Garbarino J, Dubrow N, Kostelny K, Pardo C. Children in Danger: Coping With the Consequences of Community Violence . San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass; 1992;.
6 +
Terr LC.  Chowchilla revisited: the effects of psychic trauma four years after a school bus kidnapping. Am J Psychiatry . 1983;;140:1543-1550.
7 +
Pynoos RS, Nader K.  Children's exposure to violence and traumatic death. Psychiatr Ann . 1990;;20:334-344.
8 +
Davidson J, Smith R.  Traumatic experiences in psychiatric outpatients. J Trauma Stress Stud . 1990;;3:459-475.
9 +
Pynoos RS, Frederick C, Nader K, et al.  Life threat and post traumatic stress in school-age children. Arch Gen Psychiatry . 1987;;44:1057-1063.
10 +
Lyons JA.  Post-traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents: a review of the literature.  In: Chess S, Thomas A, eds. Annual Progress in Child Psychiatry and Development . New York, NY: Brunner Mazel; 1987;:451-467.
11 +
Eth S, Silverstein S, Pynoos RS.  Mental health consultation to a preschool following the murder of a mother and child. Hosp Community Psychiatry . 1985;; 36:73-76.
12 +
Cohen DJ, Marans S, Dahl K, Marans W, Lewis M.  Psychoanalytic discussions with Oedipal children. Psychoanal Study Child . 1987;;42:59-83.
13 +
Marans S, Dahl K, Marans W, Cohen DJ.  Discussions with Oedipal children.  In: Solnit A, Cohen DJ, Neubauer P, eds. Many Meanings of Play in Child Psychoanalysis . New Haven, Conn: Yale University Press. In press.
14 +
Hughes HH.  Psychological and behavioral correlates of family violence in child witnesses and victims. Am J Orthopsychiatry . 1988;;58:77-90.
15 +
Jaffe PG, Wolfe DA, Wilson S, Zak L.  Similarities in behavioral and social maladjustment among child victims and witnesses to family violence. Am J Orthopsychiatry . 1986;;56:142-146.
16 +
Silvern L, Kaersvang L.  The traumatized children of violent marriages. Child Welfare . 1989;;68:421-436.
17 +
Hurley DJ, Jaffe P.  Children's observations of violence, II: clinical implications for children's mental health professionals. Can J Psychiatry . 1990;;35:471-476.
18 +
Widom CS.  Does violence beget violence? a critical examination of the literature. Psychol Bull . 1989;;106:3-28.
19 +
Jaffe P, Wilson SK, Wolfe D.  Specific assessment and intervention strategies for children exposed to wife battering: preliminary empirical investigation. Can J Community Ment Health . 1988;;7:157-163.
20 +
Eth S, Pynoos RS.  Psychiatric interventions with children traumatized by violence.  In: Schetky DS, Benedek EP, eds. Emerging Issues in Child Psychiatry and the Law . New York, NY: Brunner Mazel; 1985;:285-309.

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Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal

1 +
Taylor L, Zuckerman B, Harik V, Groves B.  Exposure to violence among inner city parents and young children. AJDC . 1992;;146:487.
2 +
Osofsky J, Wewer S, Hann DM, Fick AC. Cited in: Can They Feel Safe Again? The Impact of Community Violence on Infants, Toddlers, Their Parents and Practitioners: Zero to Three . Arlington, Va: National Center for Clinical Infant Programs; 1992;.
3 +
Pynoos RS, Eth S.  Children traumatized by witnessing acts of personal violence: homicide, rape or suicide behavior.  In: Eth S, Pynoos, RS, eds. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children . Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press; 1985;:19-43.
4 +
Jaffe PG, Wolfe DA, Wilson SK. Children of Battered Women . Newbury Park, Calif: Sage Press; 1990;:20.
5 +
Garbarino J, Dubrow N, Kostelny K, Pardo C. Children in Danger: Coping With the Consequences of Community Violence . San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass; 1992;.
6 +
Terr LC.  Chowchilla revisited: the effects of psychic trauma four years after a school bus kidnapping. Am J Psychiatry . 1983;;140:1543-1550.
7 +
Pynoos RS, Nader K.  Children's exposure to violence and traumatic death. Psychiatr Ann . 1990;;20:334-344.
8 +
Davidson J, Smith R.  Traumatic experiences in psychiatric outpatients. J Trauma Stress Stud . 1990;;3:459-475.
9 +
Pynoos RS, Frederick C, Nader K, et al.  Life threat and post traumatic stress in school-age children. Arch Gen Psychiatry . 1987;;44:1057-1063.
10 +
Lyons JA.  Post-traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents: a review of the literature.  In: Chess S, Thomas A, eds. Annual Progress in Child Psychiatry and Development . New York, NY: Brunner Mazel; 1987;:451-467.
11 +
Eth S, Silverstein S, Pynoos RS.  Mental health consultation to a preschool following the murder of a mother and child. Hosp Community Psychiatry . 1985;; 36:73-76.
12 +
Cohen DJ, Marans S, Dahl K, Marans W, Lewis M.  Psychoanalytic discussions with Oedipal children. Psychoanal Study Child . 1987;;42:59-83.
13 +
Marans S, Dahl K, Marans W, Cohen DJ.  Discussions with Oedipal children.  In: Solnit A, Cohen DJ, Neubauer P, eds. Many Meanings of Play in Child Psychoanalysis . New Haven, Conn: Yale University Press. In press.
14 +
Hughes HH.  Psychological and behavioral correlates of family violence in child witnesses and victims. Am J Orthopsychiatry . 1988;;58:77-90.
15 +
Jaffe PG, Wolfe DA, Wilson S, Zak L.  Similarities in behavioral and social maladjustment among child victims and witnesses to family violence. Am J Orthopsychiatry . 1986;;56:142-146.
16 +
Silvern L, Kaersvang L.  The traumatized children of violent marriages. Child Welfare . 1989;;68:421-436.
17 +
Hurley DJ, Jaffe P.  Children's observations of violence, II: clinical implications for children's mental health professionals. Can J Psychiatry . 1990;;35:471-476.
18 +
Widom CS.  Does violence beget violence? a critical examination of the literature. Psychol Bull . 1989;;106:3-28.
19 +
Jaffe P, Wilson SK, Wolfe D.  Specific assessment and intervention strategies for children exposed to wife battering: preliminary empirical investigation. Can J Community Ment Health . 1988;;7:157-163.
20 +
Eth S, Pynoos RS.  Psychiatric interventions with children traumatized by violence.  In: Schetky DS, Benedek EP, eds. Emerging Issues in Child Psychiatry and the Law . New York, NY: Brunner Mazel; 1985;:285-309.

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