Trauma-Informed Care for Children Exposed to Violence

Tips for Domestic Violence and Homeless Shelters

What happens when children are exposed to violence?

Children are very resilient—but they are not unbreakable. No matter what their age, children are deeply hurt when 

they are physically, sexually, or emotionally abused or when they see or hear violence in their homes and communities. 

When children see and hear too much that is frightening, their world feels unsafe and insecure. 

Families living in domestic violence or homeless shelters are more likely to be exposed to violence and other traumatic 

stressors. Each child and situation is different, but exposure to these traumatic stressors—including violence—can 

overwhelm children at any age and lead to problems in their daily lives. Some children may have an emotional or 

physical reaction. Others may find it harder to recover from a frightening experience. Exposure to violence—especially 

when it is ongoing and intense—can harm children’s natural, healthy development unless they receive support to help 

them cope and heal.

What are some of the warning signs of exposure to violence?

Children’s reactions to exposure to violence can be immediate or appear much later. Reactions differ in severity and 

cover a range of behaviors. People from different cultures may have their own ways of showing their reactions. How 

a child responds also varies according to age. 

Young Children (5 and younger)

Young children’s reactions are strongly influenced by caregivers’ reactions. 

Children in this age range who are exposed to violence may:

■ Be irritable or fussy or have difficulty calming down

■ Become easily startled

■ Resort to behaviors common to being younger (for example, thumb 

sucking, bed wetting, or fear of the dark)

■ Have frequent tantrums

■ Cling to caregivers

■ Experience changes in level of activity

■ Repeat events over and over in play or conversation

Elementary School-Age Children (6–12 years)

Elementary and middle school children exposed to violence may show problems 

at school and at home. They may:

■ Have difficulty paying attention 

■ Become quiet, upset, and withdrawn

■ Be tearful and sad and talk about scary feelings and ideas

■ Fight with peers or adults

■ Show changes in school performance

■ Want to be left alone

■ Eat more or less than usual

■ Get into trouble at home or school
Safe Start: Working Together to Help Children Exposed to Violence

2 Children Exposed to Violence: Tips for Domestic Violence and Homeless Shelters

Teenagers (13–18 years)

Older children may exhibit the most behavioral changes as a result of exposure 

to violence. Depending on their circumstances, teenagers may:

■ Talk about the event all the time or deny that it happened

■ Refuse to follow rules or talk back with greater frequency

■ Complain of being tired all the time

■ Engage in risky behaviors

■ Sleep more or less than usual

■ Increase aggressive behaviors

■ Want to be alone, not even wanting to spend time with friends

■ Experience frequent nightmares

■ Use drugs or alcohol, run away from home, or get into trouble with the law

What can staff in domestic violence and 

homeless shelters do?

The best way to help children in shelters is to make sure 

that they feel safe (for example, creating a predictable 

environment), encouraging them to express their feelings 

(for example, listening and hearing their stories), and 

ensuring that children know that whatever happened was 

not their fault. Shelter programs can integrate trauma 

awareness and responsiveness into their program 

missions to:

Identify children who have been exposed to 

violence 

The most important first step is to identify, as early as 

possible, children who are exposed to violence. Given 

what is known about the prevalence of co-occurring 

domestic violence, homelessness, and child abuse and 

neglect, all shelters should have universal screening 

policies in place and staff should be trained to observe 

and ask relevant questions (for example, watch for 

physical signs such as bruises and unexplained changes 

in behavior and emotional signs such as depression or 

anxiety). 

Integrate strategies to address exposure to 

violence into the agency protocols

Planning for services in homeless and domestic violence 

shelters must always take into consideration the child’s 

experience of violence and its effects as well as the 

potential danger to the child’s safety. In domestic 

violence situations, child safety usually depends on the 

safety and protection of the adult victim. The ultimate 

goal is to end violence against both the child and the 

non-offending partner. The child’s need for attachment, 

safety, and security—which may change over time—

should be the constant frame of reference during service 

planning. 

Link families with 

community-based services

Families living in shelters limited 

mobility and lack of resources 

mean that they have less access 

to health-care, school based, 

social and other services. Staff can 

provide or help families coordinate 

opportunities to access needed services (for example, 

health care, early childhood education, child protective 

services, and domestic violence professionals) and 

engage parents/caregivers in obtaining needed services 

for their children and themselves. To be able to do this 

work, programs must support and foster collaborative 

partnerships and cross-agency training with child welfare 

and domestic violence agencies, as well as with other 

providers that serve the families.

Include evidence-based strategies in the parenting education activities

Many shelters provide parenting education. Key issues 

related to parenting education include determining 

the parents’ capacity to protect their children, helping 

parents understand how their own exposure to violence 

influences their parenting, and introducing practices that 

improve the non-offending parent-child bond, which is 

often strained or fractured by the violence. 

Opportunities for improving parenting skills are provided 

in different approaches, follow different philosophies, 

and target different audiences and goals. Many of the 

widely used parenting education programs were not 

designed to be provided in shelters or to specifically 

target children’s exposure to violence. 
Safe Start: Working Together to Help Children Exposed to Violence

3 Children Exposed to Violence: Tips for Domestic Violence and Homeless Shelters

Refer children to evidence-based mental 

health interventions

A few trauma-focused interventions have been tested 

with homeless and formerly homeless families and/or 

with families living with domestic violence. The National 

Child Traumatic Stress Network provides information on 

the following programs at http://www.nctsn.org:

■ Child-Parent Psychotherapy for Family Violence 

(CPP-FV)

■ Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for 

Children

■ Project SUPPORT

■ Parenting Through Change

Respond to crises as they arise

Shelters are public spaces. Parenting in shelters 

in which people come and go is very stressful for 

parents. In addition, families entering shelters may 

be in acute crises and unable to fully participate in 

services. Consideration of the family’s functioning is 

important in anticipating whether an offer of intervention 

will be perceived as helpful and valuable or intrusive 

and burdensome. Shelter staff members who can 

understand families’ stressors and strengths are better 

able to preempt crises and react calmly and swiftly when 

crises arise. 

Support the mental wellness of staff in 

shelters

Staff members who work in shelters are exposed to 

intense stressors that can have a negative effect on 

their physical and emotional well-being. Feelings of 

stress, exhaustion, and sadness are common. Physical 

symptoms may include headaches, upset stomach, and 

muscle aches and pains. Exposure to the tragic stories 

of children can trigger the same feelings of fear and 

anxiety in the professional that the child is feeling. To 

prevent burnout and ensure the provision of high-quality 

services, staff members who work with these children 

need specific support. Regular supervision should be 

offered to assist staff members in understanding the 

impact of trauma in particular situations and to aid staff 

in recognizing and managing their own reactions. 

For more information and resources, please contact the Safe Start Center, 

a National Resource Center for Children’s Exposure to Violence:

http://www.safestartcenter.org

1-800-865-0965

info@safestartcenter.org

Mandated Reporting

Many children experiencing crises or violence are also at risk for child abuse and neglect. All States 

have child welfare systems that receive and respond to reports of child abuse and neglect, offer 

services to families, provide foster homes for children who must be removed from their parents’ care, 

and work to find permanent placements for children who cannot safely return home.

Domestic violence does not equal child abuse and neglect, and therefore not all cases of domestic 

violence must be reported to child protective services. When responding to families affected by 

domestic violence, it is very important to consider simultaneously the safety of the child and the safety 

of the adult victim.

State by State information on reporting requirements can be found at http://www.childwelfare.gov/

systemwide/laws_policies/state.
Safe Start: Working Together to Help Children Exposed to Violence

4 Children Exposed to Violence: Tips for Domestic Violence and Homeless Shelters

Additional Resources

Cohen, E., McAlister Groves, B., & Kracke, K. (2009). Understanding Children’s Exposure to Violence. Moving From Evidence 

to Action: The Safe Start Series on Children Exposed to Violence, Issue Brief #1. North Bethesda, MD: Safe Start Center, 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. http://www.

safestartcenter.org/pdf/IssueBrief1_UNDERSTANDING.pdf

Family Violence Prevention Fund. (2009). Connect: Supporting Children Exposed to Domestic Violence, In-Service Training for 

Resource Families. San Francisco: Family Violence Prevention Fund. http://www.endabuse.org/content/features/detail/1314/

Gewirtz, A.H. (2010). Homeless Shelters, Permanent/Supportive Housing, and Transitional Housing. Moving from Evidence 

to Action: The Safe Start Series on Children Exposed to Violence, Issue Brief #6. North Bethesda, MD: Safe Start Center, 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. http://www.

safestartcenter.org/pdf/IssueBrief6_homeless.pdf

Gewirtz, A., & Menakem, R. (2004). Working with Young Children and Their Families: Recommendations for Domestic Violence 

Agencies and Batterer Intervention Programs. In S. Schechter & J. Knitzer (Eds.), Early Childhood, Domestic Violence, and 

Poverty Paper Series, #5. Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa School of Social Work. http://www.nccev.org/pdfs/series_paper5.pdf

Safe Start Center. (2009). Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children’s Exposure to Violence, A Guide for Families. (2009). North 

Bethesda, MD: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. 

http://www.safestartcenter.org/pdf/caregiver.pdf

SAMHSA Homeless Families Coordinating Center. (2005). Trauma Interventions for Homeless Families—Innovative Features 

and Common Themes. Washington, DC: Vanderbilt University Center for Evaluation and Program Improvement. http://www.

prainc.com/pdfs/trsrvcsfinaldoc.pdf