The Effects and Treatment of Community Violence in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

The amount of community violence that children and adolescents are exposedtois unsettling. Intensifying the issue, the amount of community violence that is wit-nessed or experienced directly by children and adolescents is increasing with time. It has been documented that children and adolescents who are exposed to community violence display a wide array of psychological symptoms, ranging from depression and anxiety to antisocial and suicidal behaviors. Many variables have been studied in an attempt to determine correlates, moderators, and mediators of exposure to community violence. Furthermore, many intervention strategies have been developed from the discovery of relationships among these variables. Despite these efforts, many children continue to suffer from the negative effects of exposure to community violence. The purpose of this article is to encourage mental health professionals to mobilize their efforts to help children, adolescents, and their families cope with the effects of community violence.