Children Who See Too Much : Lessons From the Child Witness to Violence Project

In Children Who See Too Much, Betsy Groves debunks the myth that young age is a protector against the lasting effects of witnessing violence in the home. She makes the powerful case that traumatic events carried out by family members carry the most severe psychological risks for very young children and uses the newest cognitive research to explore how very young children process violence. Groves draws upon the Child Witness to Violence Program's award-winning training programs for parents, teachers, police officers, clergy, and pediatric health care providers to lay out ways adults can understand and protect the very young children—all around us—who see too much. "Groves provides six practical steps that will help parents create a safer world, regardless of neighborhood or race. The model presented in this book is clearly a valuable one for other communities to copy." —Library Journal "Betsy Groves offers rare insight for adults who seek to help children cope with trauma and violence." —James Garbarino, Ph.D., author of Parents Under Siege"As the events of Sept. 11 drive home, there is no way, these days, to keep images of death and destruction entirely away from the eyes (and out of the nightmares) of our children. . . . Children Who See Too Much will fill the need for a road map felt by parents overwhelmed by all the awfulness around them." —Judith Warner, The Washington Post In the coverage of the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City, Newsweek magazine offered parents the following advice for their preschool-age children: "Turn off the TV and don't discuss the bombing. . . . Small children are usually oblivious to death". In Children Who See Too Much, Betsy McAlister Groves, founder of the nationally acclaimed Child Witness to Violence Project, proves this common advice uncommonly misguided.Children Who See Too Much focuses most closely on domestic violence -- how children understand, respond to, and are affected by this "equal opportunity phenomenon" of violence in the home. Groves makes the powerful case that traumatic events carried out by family members carry the most severe psychological risks for very young children; she debunks the myth that young age is a protector against the lasting effects of witnessing violence in the home; and she uses the clinical case studies to explore how very young children process violence.Groves draws upon the Child Witness to Violence Project's award-winning training programs for parents, teachers, police officers, clergy, and pediatric health care providers to lay out ways adults can understand and protect the very young children, all around us, who see too much. Boston Medical Center's 10-year-old Child Witness To Violence Project Is Designed To Help Parents And Caregivers Whose Children Have Seen Violence. Groves Relates Stories From The Project, And Offers Ideas And Advice Concerning The Effect Of Violence On The Minds Of Children. Violence In The Lives Of Young Children -- The Effects Of Exposure To Violence On Young Children -- When Home Isn't Safe : Children And Domestic Violence -- What We Can Do To Help Children Who Have Witnessed Violence -- Community Reponses To Children Who Witness Violence -- Creating A Safer World For Children : Reflections On The Challenges Ahead. Betsy Mcalister Groves. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 146-151) And Index.

for The Last Ten Years Betsy Groves Has Been Working With Children Traumatized By Witnessing Violence. In This Book She Shows How Children Understand, Respond To, And Are Affected By Violence, Especially Domestic Violence. Groves Makes The Powerful Case That Traumatic Events Carried Out By Family Members Carry The Most Severe Psychological Risks For Very Young Children. She Uses Clinical Case Studies To Show That Being Young Does Not Protect Against The Lasting Effects Of Witnessing Violence, And She Offers Ways Adults Can Help.