Jesse s mother had recently separated from his father because of an abusive relationship. Jesse had witnessed violence in his home repeatedly and had seen his father beat his mother and drag her across the driveway by her hair. Months later and in spite of being engaged in profession counseling, Jesse was still very much suffering the effects of that exposure to violence. He exhibited some of the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder characteristic of children who witness violence. Recent news has been staggering and depressing.
Children kill other children.
There are guns and mass murder in our grade and high schools, date rape and murders on college campuses. Children are shot at in a day-care center. The American public reacts to these happenings with bewilderment. We are stunned and search for reasons for this violence. We, as nurses, need to explore the reasons for violence in society and then work to find ways of primary prevention Studies have shown that children s exposure to violence can increase the risk of later delinquent and criminal behavior.