Identifying and Responding to the Mental Health Service Needs of Children Who Have Experienced Violence: A Community-Based Approach

Abstract

Children’s exposure to violence, their psychological response to the violence, and their participation in a community-based intervention service were described. This article describes the provision of mental health services and the process evaluation for the initial phase of the program (1999-2000). A large number ( N = 1739) children were referred to the program over a 17.5-month period for mental health intervention immediately after witnessing and experiencing a range of violent acts, the majority of which ( N = 1355) involved domestic violence. A majority of referred children and adolescents ( N = 946) directly witnessed such violence, and the majority of those who were old enough to provide self-report indicated that they perceived the event as a direct threat to their safety. Many of these children and adolescents also reported high levels of trauma symptoms. The majority of children ( N = 1117) who were referred to the program participated. The findings underscore the feasibility of developing mental health services to meet the needs of children who are exposed to violence, especially family violence, at a critical time following violence exposure.