NCJ Number
213555
Date Published
February 2006
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the research on the long-term consequences of lifetime exposure to violence and explores how the assessment for lifetime violence exposure can lead to effective prevention strategies.
Abstract
The prevalence and long-term consequences of lifetime exposure to violence--defined as childhood abuse, childhood exposure to domestic violence, domestic violence, and lifetime physical and sexual abuse--are well documented in the literature, although the author warns that prevalence statistics on this topic are likely to be gross under-estimates of the true prevalence of the problem. Long-term consequences of lifetime exposure to violence include morbid obesity, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, tobacco use, and increased risk for chronic diseases. Elevated risk for future violence is another consequence of lifetime violence exposure that is often overlooked. The severity of the long-term consequences of lifetime violence exposure lends urgency to the assessment for lifetime exposure to violence. Through assessments, clinicians and researchers can identify opportunities for early intervention and prevention of the long-term consequences of violence exposure. The prevention continuum (primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention) is described, as is the importance of survivor inclusion in prevention strategies and survivor readiness for change. Finally, the clinicians’ role in prevention strategies is articulated and spans from tertiary prevention to primary prevention. In closing, the author states that the assessment for lifetime violence exposure can serve as the starting point for a community-wide response to violence over the lifespan. Tables, references