Understanding Children Exposed to Violence

Abstract

Although comprehensive studies examining a variety of violence types and potential outcomes are becoming more common, there continues to be an overreliance on relatively simple, single violence type, criterion group comparisons. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of what is known about different forms of childhood violence, the many potential outcomes that have been shown to be related to a history of violence in childhood, and emerging research on mediators and moderators makes conducting comprehensive research a significant theoretical and technical challenge. Complicating this situation is that vertically organized and isolated professional fields of study and practice have emerged around specific types of childhood violence and outcomes, making cross-fertilization of ideas and methods difficult. Suggestions concerning theory, methods, and professional integration are offered to promote more integration of the field of childhood violence.