Urban youth as witnesses to violence: Beginning assessment and treatment efforts

This article reviews literature on witnessing violence (covictimization) in children and adolescents. As violent incidents have increased dramatically in urban areas, so has exposure by inner-city youth to violence in the home, school, and community. In reaction to witnessing violence, youth may present symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Separation Anxiety and Depression, evince disturbed grieving and bereavement, show a number of externalizing behaviors including aggressiveness, have impaired interpersonal and family relations, and show declines in academic performance. A number of factors may mediate the impact of violence exposure including age, gender, and history of prior trauma. Mental health assessment and treatment efforts for youth who have witnessed violence have been limited. Directions for future investigation are highlighted.Received Ph.D. in clinical/community psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1994. Research interests include group therapy with adolescents, teenage parenting, social skills assessment and training, and development of programs to assess, prevent, and treat violence exposure in urban youth.Received Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1991. Research interests include evaluation and development of school-based mental health services, empirical selection of treatment targets for children and adolescents, development of interventions to assist youth who are exposed to violence, and identification of resilience factors for urban youth.