NCJ Number
138106
Date Published
1992
Length
276 pages
Annotation
This book examines the threat to child development posed by living amid chronic community violence and shows how caregiving adults such as teachers, psychologists, social workers, and counselors can work together to help children and prevent juvenile delinquency.
Abstract
Based on their extensive field work in war zones around the world, the authors explore the link between a child's response to growing up in an atmosphere of violence and danger and the social context established by the community and caregivers. They note that for many children, particularly those living in inner cities in the United States, childhood is increasingly a time of danger. They explain the need to establish predictable, structured, safe environments for children and show how school-based programs that provide the continuity and regularity that is otherwise lacking in their lives can enhance children's natural resilience and help reduce the adverse consequences of living in danger. The discussion also explains the training and support of teachers who must address not only the children's needs but also their own personal safety and emotional response to their students' traumas. Illustrations, figures, index, and 238 references (Publisher summary modified)