U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Safe From the Start: Taking Action on Children Exposed to Violence

NCJ Number
182789
Author(s)
Wendy B. Jacobson
Date Published
November 2000
Length
76 pages
Annotation
This is an Action Plan created by the National Summit on Children Exposed to Violence to understand and address children’s exposure to violence.
Abstract
Efforts to address children’s exposure to violence should reflect a commitment to common goals; be grounded in a full understanding of the issues and challenges involved; be based in fact; fully integrate prevention, intervention and accountability measures; and work across disciplines. The Summit defined a series of eight operating principles: (1) Work Together (collaborative practices and collaborative leadership); (2) Begin Earlier (reach at-risk families even before the child is born); (3) Think Developmentally (consider the changing needs of children exposed to violence at different stages in their lives and recognize that it is possible to help an older child overcome the impact of violence that occurred years ago); (4) Make Mothers Safe to Keep Children Safe; (5) Enforce the Law; (6) Make Adequate Resources Available; (7) Work From a Sound Knowledge Base; and (8) Create a Culture of Nonviolence. The Action Plan discusses critical steps that agencies, communities and individuals can take to achieve cultural change. Notes, resources