In light of the tragic Sandy Hook shootings, there clearly are not words that adequately express the depth of the tragedy. Our support and thoughts are with the families who are suffering, not only from this incident, but countless others on a daily basis – for each day there are as many more children killed in violent acts and many times more who are exposed to violence in their home or in their neighborhood.  I recall once talking with a youth in our detention center who described how, when he was eight years old, he and his father were walking down the street when his father was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting. I tried to imagine then how that must impact someone, and still struggle with putting myself in that place – a child subjected to or witnessing such traumatic violence.

It is timely that the Attorney General recently released a report, Defending Childhood: Protect, Heal, Thrive, completed by the National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, an extensive report that recommends ways the nation can prevent, reduce and treat children’s exposure to violence. This team of experts meticulously developed realistic, applicable solutions that can be applied in various settings: government, hospitals, schools, and homes to name a few.

Central to fostering healthy childhood growth and development is recognizing the tremendous impact that trauma plays in childhood development. The report emphasizes that advances in neuroscience and child development show that the trauma children experience when they are exposed to physical, sexual, and emotional violence harms their ability to mature cognitively and emotionally, and it scars them physically and emotionally well into adulthood.

The report includes 15 pages of recommendations to be implemented, more than can be captured here. Consistent with WCCF’s mission to ensure that children grow up in a safe, loving, and nurturing environment, these recommendations need to be reviewed by policy-makers and steps need to be taken to reduce children’s exposure to violence.

By: Katey Collins and Jim Moeser