Assessing the Impact of Community Violence on Children and Youths

Social workers often encounter young clients who have been exposed to violence in their communities. Although the devastating effects of community violence have been well documented, surprisingly little concern in social work practice has been focused on attending to young clients' experiences with community violence. This article explores the manifestations and consequences of community violence in the lives of children and youths and presents an assessment framework with which social workers may examine the impact of community violence in the lives of their young clients at risk.