RAND ReseARch AReAs ChiLDREN AND FAMiLiES EDUCAtiON AND thE ARtS ENERgy AND ENviRONMENt hEALth AND hEALth CARE iNFRAStRUCtURE AND tRANSPORtAtiON iNtERNAtiONAL AFFAiRS LAW AND BUSiNESS NAtiONAL SECURity POPULAtiON AND AgiNg PUBLiC SAFEty SCiENCE AND tEChNOLOgy tERRORiSM AND hOMELAND SECURity

I n recent years, approximately 61 percent of children in the United States reported that they were exposed to violence, crime, and abuse during the previous year. Common sources of children’s exposure to violence (CEV) are direct child maltreatment, witnessing domestic violence, and community and school violence. There is reason to believe the problem may have grown worse in recent decades. Child protective services agencies accepted 3.3 million referrals for neglect and abuse in 2008, and, from these referrals, 772,000 children were found to be victims of abuse or neglect. This figure represents a national rate of 10.3 victims per 1,000 children. Also, a high proportion of children are exposed to violence that occurs between adult intimate partners. Finally, exposure to violence outside the home is also common, with youth being victims of violent crime at a rate of 26.5 per 1,000 in 2009.1 Abstract