Silent victims. Children who witness violence

Abstract

THE CRISIS of violence in the United States has expanded to include more than the traditional emphasis on the victim and perpetrator. We would like to bring attention to a previously underrecognized group of victims in this public health epidemic: the children who witness the violence. These usually silent, indirect victims show no physical sign of harm and are commonly overlooked. In urban pediatric practices, clinicians increasingly are told that their young patients hear gunshots outside their homes, witness shootings on the playground, or have a family member (often an older sibling) involved with violence. Recent studies support this. One of every 10 children attending Boston (Mass) City Hospital pediatric primary care clinic witnessed a shooting or stabbing before the age of 6 years,¹half in the home, half on the streets. The average age of the children in this study was 2.7 years. A survey of elementary-school-aged children