NCCEV Press Releases

For immediate release: September 6, 2002

Forum Slated To Focus On Children and Violence

HARTFORD, CT -- The Governor's Prevention Partnership's Safe Schools and Communities Coalition will hold a forum Wednesday, May 22 giving health and mental health professionals, educators, court and law enforcement officials, child and family advocates and others from around the state an opportunity to explore the most current and effective strategies to reduce violence among children and adults.

Titled "Children Affected by Violence: Breaking the Cycle," the session takes place at the East Hartford Community Cultural Center, 50 Chapman Place and is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon.

The event will feature a panel of experts who will discuss issues such as multigenerational violence, school-based violence prevention, teen dating violence, and domestic violence.

Also featured is Jetta Bernier, director of the advocacy group Massachusetts Citizens for Children. Bernier led the development in Massachusetts of the nation's first state Call to Action to End Child Abuse. The Call offers a comprehensive, systemic approach to dramatically improve the treatment of children. Bernier worked with Massachusetts prosecutors and the medical community around passage of a child neglect law that now allows egregious cases of child abuse to be prosecuted as a felony. Her efforts led to the passage of the state's child death review system. Bernier will discuss the Call to Action as well as the steps Massachusetts has taken.

The forum will be hosted by the Co-Chairs of the coalition's Children Affected By Violence Task Force, Dr. James Lewis of the Yale Child Study Center and the National Center for Children Exposed to Violence and Jane Bourns of Prevent Child Abuse CT, Wheeler Clinic, Inc., a nd the Child Health and Development Institute.

"Three to ten million children witness violence in their families each year and 30 to 60 percent of these children are themselves directly abused," says Cate Bourke of The Governor's Prevention Partnership who coordinated the forum. "In Connecticut last year," she adds, "nearly 11,000 children were substantiated as abused, neglected or uncared for. And when 6th, 8th, and 10th grade children and youth in New Haven were surveyed, researchers found that 39 percent of the children reported having seen someone shot the preceding year. To say the least, figures such as these are alarming and totally unacceptable.

"When exposure to violence is unaddressed or chronic, children may experience school failure, depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, delinquency, court involvement, or incarceration. A comparison of delinquent and non-delinquent youth found that a history of family violence or abuse is the most significant difference between the two groups.

"And as adults, children exposed to violence are 38 percent more likely to commit a violent crime themselves.

"The 'cycle of violence' hypothesis suggests that a childhood history of abuse predisposes the survivor to violence in later years. But the research also suggests that there are prevention and intervention programs that can break the cycle of violence. This forum will allow us to explore some of the possibilities."

Established in 1989, The Governor's Prevention Partnership is a public-private partnership whose mission is to keep Connecticut drug-free and safe by building programs that prevent youth substance abuse and violence. The Safe Schools and Community Coalition was created by The Governor's Prevention Partnership in 1995 as a statewide partnership of schools, parent groups, law enforcement, and youth-serving agencies with a mission to reduce youth crime and violence and increase school and community safety.

Contact:
Win Heimer (860) 523-8042 x19
Cate Bourke (860) 523-8042 x36

For more information, please contact:

National Center for Children Exposed to Violence
1-877- 49-NCCEV
Email: nccev@info.med.yale.edu
Or visit the program’s websites at www.nccev.org and www.cd-cp.org.