Specifically, participants focused on the culture of violence and fear in many of the communities they serve, the difficulties of combating gun use and violence, the need for community development that is focused on reducing violence, the impact on the children and youth exposed to violence, and what is needed to address the mental health needs of those exposed to gun violence. Influenced by CWLA’s National Blueprint for Excellence in Child Welfare and its vision for all children and youth to grow up safely, with loving families and supportive communities, the conversation focused on the shared responsibility of individuals, families, organizations, and communities for ensuring the safety and well-being of children and youth. Together, they started a dialogue about the often ignored impact 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. This is no easy task, given the many settings in our world that contain violent situations or imagery: schools, homes, communities, and the media.Īt CWLA’s 2013 National Conference, our staff and its Mental Health Advisory Board brought together professionals in the child welfare and mental health fields for a Listening Session on the topic of gun violence.
In addition, it requires our society to find ways to reduce the actual numbers of children and youth who are initially exposed to gun violence. It also requires a sufficient number of providers trained in age-appropriate, evidence-based, and trauma-informed treatments to concurrently understand all of these concerns. They also indicate that the research shows that “certain children may be at higher 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.”Īddressing the social, emotional, and physical well-being and mental health needs of children and youth exposed to gun violence is a complex process that requires proper identification of those exposed.
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). The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) believes it is time to broaden the focus of the gun debate to include the social, emotional, physical, and mental health impact of those traumatized by gun violence, especially children and youth. While much more can be done to address the problems of perpetrators with a mental illness, that conversation alone will not address the problems associated with gun violence. In fact, most people with mental illnesses are not violent and are actually more likely to be victimized than they are to victimize others (Teplin et al, 2005). With more than 25% of children witnessing an act of violence in their homes, schools, or community over the past year, and more than 5% witnessing a shooting, it becomes not just an issue of gun regulation, but also of addressing the impact on those who have been traumatized by such violence (Finkelhor et al., 2009).Īlthough mental health problems are part of the debate about gun regulation, the discussion has focused primarily upon the mental health of the perpetrators’ of gun crimes.
The consequences of gun violence are more pervasive and affect entire communities, families, and children. 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. Unfortunately, far less attention has been dedicated to the impact of gun violence on victims. Much of the debate has focused on gun regulation and keeping deadly weapons out of the hands of potential killers, particularly those with mental illnesses. Over the past few years, gun violence has risen to the forefront of public consciousness.
Published in Children’s Voice Volume 23, Number 1
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