International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression

Principles  • Learn from past mistakes in research – lumping effect • John Fantuzzo approach – fewer variables that account for more of the variance • Ecological/developmental approach  Immediate Research Recommendation  • Evaluate current shelter programs for batterers, spouses, and children (process and outcome program evaluation) • Replicate promising programs  Recommend Intervention Research  Longitudinal  Prospective  Multi-site  Multi agency  Culturally specific  Adjusted for specific disabilities (hearing impaired) Incorporates current research findings  Includes young children and older adolescents Involves community participants in designing intervention  Broad referral base Methods to reduce attrition (e.g., provide transportation, use of incentives)  Multiple data sources  Evaluate timing of interventions • Immediate • Onset of symptoms • Onset of disorders  Differential effects of forms of violence Ef...

 Gaps in Research  Definitions: Terrorism: • Unlawful use of threat or force against an individual/government for political or other end with the intent/purpose of imposing ones will (DOD). • Illegitimate use of force to achieve political, social or religious objectives, when innocent people are targeted (FBI). ƒ Played out before a larger audience ƒ Non-war atmosphere, unexpected, occurs in a safe place ƒ Asymmetrical warfare, recurrent attacks ƒ Groups who don’t have other means to get their message across ƒ Usually many more civilians involved War: • Planned and executed usually by governments against other governments or countries in self defense or revenge • Usually have a beginning and an end • Civilians affected secondarily (collateral damage, not primary target)  QUESTIONS: • Is there a difference in the psychological consequences in a war situation versus a terrorist attack? • Is there a difference in emotional consequences if attack occurs when children are in a...

 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF BREAKOUT GROUP  Children’s Exposure to Marital Violence. Basic Question: What scientific developments are needed for us to understand better, to respond more effectively, and ultimately to prevent children’s exposure to domestic violence (DV)?  • Strategies • Topics • Repeating themes  Strategies • Broaden the scope of independent and dependent variables • Enhance the depth and precision of processes and mechanisms through both descriptive and theory-driven designs  ƒ examine pathways; examine iterative cycles;  ƒ examine protective factors as well as risk factors • Measure stability vs. change over time/longitudinal designs • Monitor outcomes of naturally occurring and experimental interventions   Topics for Further Study   • The nature of exposure to domestic violence • The impact of domestic violence on family functioning • The impact of domestic violence on child functioning • The interface w...

The group posed the concept that the community is not just the location of the violence or a set of people, houses, and apartments. The community is a set of interconnecting relationships. Since violence in schools often stems from the community, the school can be viewed as an integral part of the community; therefore, it does not make sense to distinguish between school violence and community violence, except in unique issues such as bullying. We also need to understand school violence in terms of a chronic condition, not just acute incidents like Columbine.  Research is needed to inform policymakers about best practices. Given this we need to know more about the following.  Definitional and Measurement Issues  • Is exposure to violence the same as witnessing violence? • How does being a victim differ from being in a violent environment? • How do we define the term “violent” and what it means to individual students and individual communities? How children perceive violen...