Big Idea: Community Violence and Childhood Affects

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Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. We witness violence every day, in our homes via television shows and video games but we also see it in our neighborhoods. As adults we allow our children to be exposed to certain forms of violence which get into their heads and they want to try and show some of this violence. The violence that is displayed in our communities has a tremendous effect on the children within the neighborhood. This violence exposure can determine a child’s future. It can be the deciding factor between prison and living a long fulfilling life. Community violence is an epidemic that results in many of our youth taking the wrong path which leads to jail or the grave. Through guidance and mentorship we can save our youth and stop the violence. Children are more likely to be exposed to violence and crime than adults. In 2005, juveniles and young adults ages 12 to 19 were more than twice as likely to be victims of violent crimes as the population as a whole (Finkelhor, Turner, Ormrod, Hamby, & Kracke, 2009). Children are affected by violence even if they are not present to see the actual violence. Children react to exposure to violence in different ways, and many children show remarkable resilience (Finkelhor, Turner, Ormrod, Hamby, & Kracke, 2009). Children who are exposed to violence undergo lasting physical, mental, and emotional harm (Finkelhor, Turner, Ormrod, Hamby, & Kracke, 2009). They suffer from difficulties with attachment, regressive behavior, anxiety and depression, and aggression and conduct problems (Finkelhor, Turner, Ormrod, Hamby, & Kracke, 2009). Children who are exposed to violence are more prone to experience domestic violence as adults and involvement with child welfare and the juvenile justice system (Finkelhor, Turner, Ormrod, Hamby, & Kracke, 2009). It is not easy

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