Children in a Violent Society [Paperback]

Joy Osofsky (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 10, 1998 | ISBN-10: 1572303875 | ISBN-13: 978-1572303874 | Edition: 1

Today's children are bombarded with images of violence in cartoons, news reports, television shows, computer games, movies, and other media. In growing numbers, they are also exposed to real-life violence in their own homes and communities - as witnesses, victims, and, increasingly, perpetrators. Emphasizing the need for early intervention and prevention, this timely book details the incidence and scope of the violence epidemic and examines the developmental impact of violence on children. Contributors describe several exemplary prevention and intervention programs currently in place around the country and propose a range of educational and policy initiatives.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is a unique contribution to our understanding of a problem that is of increasing concern to people here and abroad, but which has received inadequate public attention to date. Over the last two decades, there has been much needed and increased attention to the long-term consequences of childhood victimization, but less attention has been paid to problems that are seen in younger children who witness violence. In keeping with this focus, this volume adopts a developmental perspective to understanding the impact of violence exposure and witnessing violence on children and youth. Although the emphasis is on developmental factors, such as neurodevelopmental effects, effects in infancy, and attachment issues, chapters are wide-ranging and include pieces on firearms injuries and media violence. The book's contributors argue for early preventive intervention and provide examples of innovative prevention and intervention programs for children and families exposed to violence in cities around the country." --Cathy Spatz Widom, PhD, Professor of Criminal Justice and Psychology, The University at Albany (SUNY)

"As judges handling acts of violence in criminal and family court, we rarely look beyond the legal parties and inquire about witnessing violence by children. Dr. Osofsky has documented the alarming rate of occurance of violence in the lives of our children, has explained the developmental delays and traumatic stress and other effects of violence exposure on children, and has described several innovative education and treatment programs. She has given us the tools to begin to initiate systemic reform. This is a book that every judge should read." --Judge Cindy Lederman, Circuit Court Judge, Juvenile Justice Center, Dade County, Florida; Former Administrator of Dade County Domestic Violence Court

"This is one of the most important books that I have seen. We live in the most violent industrialized country in the world. Violence is increasingly a major influence in our children's lives. Unless we begin to think preventively, violence in their world is bound to escalate and they are bound to be more vulnerable to it. This volume approaches it from a preventive standpoint, and covers the impact on our infants and children if we don't move to prevent violence in their world. We are becoming increasingly aware of the earliest effects on children's development. This volume should stir us all to act!" --T. Berry Brazelton, MD, The Brazelton Center for Infants & Parents

"...an impressive, cross-disciplinary set of essays, literature reviews, and empirical studies that will appeal to developmental, clinical community, and forensic psychologists, as well as to specialists in law, social work, psychiatry, sociology, and law enforcement....The individual chapters of the volume integrate surprisingly well....Perusal of the complete volume is recommended for most readers, but those interested only in particular topics will find individual chapters informative and easily comprehended without the context of the volume as a whole.....CHILDREN IN A VIOLENT SOCIETY is a readable, informative and relatively comprehensive work. It promises to serve as a valuable resource for specialists in a wide range of disciplines interested in a continuing crisis, the implications of violence for America's youth." --David C. Schwebel, Contemporary Psychology

About the Author

Joy D. Osofsky, PhD, a psychologist and psychoanalyst, is Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) in New Orleans. She is President of Zero to Three/National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families; past president of the World Association for Infant Mental Health; and Director of the Violence Intervention Program for Children and Families and the LSUHSC Harris Center for Infant Mental Health. Following Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Osofsky was asked to serve as Clinical Director of Child and Adolescent Initiatives for Louisiana Spirit for the Louisiana State Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Mental Health. She is editor or coeditor of Young Children and Trauma, Children in a Violent Society, Handbook of Infant Development, and WAIMH Handbook of Infant Mental Health; and editor of the Infant Mental Health Journal. Dr. Osofsky's research, intervention, and clinical work with infants, children, and families at high psychosocial risk have been recognized with honors and awards from Division 37 of the American Psychological Association, the Juvenile Court Judges of the 11th Judicial Circuit, and the New Orleans City Council, among others.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 338 pages
• Publisher: Guilford Press; 1 edition (August 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572303875
• ISBN-13: 978-1572303874
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #261,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14 in Books > Law > Family & Health Law > Mental Health