Children's Exposure to Violence
In the Fall of 2009 the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) issued results from the first ever comprehensive Survey on Children’s Exposure to Violence.
Partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, OJJDP sponsored this most comprehensive effort to date to measure children’s exposure to violence. The National Survey, is the first to ask children and caregivers about exposure to a range of violent incidents and maltreatment.
According to the OJJDP Survey;
· 13.2 percent of America's children and adolescents report having been physically bullied within the past year, and more than one in five report having been physically bullied during their lifetimes. The risk of bullying peaks during middle childhood.
· More than 60 percent of the Nation's youth have been exposed to violence within the past year, either directly or indirectly by witnessing a violent act; learning of a violent act against a family member, neighbor, or close friend; or experiencing a threat against their home and school. The types of violence children were exposed to included assault with a weapon and/or injury, sexual victimization, child maltreatment, and dating violence.
The Survey found that children are exposed to violence every day in their homes, schools, and communities. They may be struck by a boyfriend, bullied by a classmate, or abused by an adult. They may witness an assault on a parent or a shooting on the street. Such exposure can cause significant physical, mental, and emotional harm with long-term effects that can last well into adulthood.
As evidenced in the OJJDP Bulletin: Children’s exposure to violence is pervasive and crosses all ages. The report can be accessed here.
Emergency Preparedness – Wildfires
“Before the Threat”. A collaborative effort between the San Diego Association of Fire Chiefs, Farmers Insurance and the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services noting specific fire protection steps that our families and businesses need to be familiar with and working to implement.
The video can be viewed in 3 parts below:
