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Each year, during the third week of April, Chicago Safe Start hosts CEV Prevention and Awareness Week to help lead efforts to increase awareness and reduce the impact of children's exposure to violence. The intention is to highlight the unique challenges we face as a nation for preventing, treating and caring for children exposed to violence.
According to the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV), 60 percent of American children are exposed to violence, crime or abuse in their homes, schools and communities. Be it bullying, domestic violence or child abuse, exposure to violence - particularly multiple exposures - can interfere with a child's physical, emotional, and intellectual development.
To stress the point that everyone plays an important role in CEV prevention, the theme for this year's CEV Prevention and Awareness Week is "Every Person. Every Day."
Wondering what role you can play? You can:
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Tweet with us!Feel free to join us on Twitter using #CEVweek to post interesting articles and resources related to children's exposure to violence. Also, we're having a Twitter chat with psychologist and NatSCEV researcher Sherry Hamby at 2 p.m. EST Wed. April 17. Learn more here.
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Learn with us!On Thurs. April 18 we will host a webinar, Unlocking the Development of Children Exposed to Violence. Panelists will discuss how exposure to violence impacts a child's development and ways that schools and the child welfare system can better respond to trauma. Register here.
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Take a picture!Throughout April we are running a photo sharing campaign, asking individuals and groups to take a photo with the week's slogan, "Every Person. Every Day." We'll collect these photos into an album on Facebook and share on other social media outlets to show others' support of the idea that preventing and treating childhood exposure to violence involves everyone. Print out the CEV Week logo here, take your photo with it and send it to info@safestartcenter.org or tag us on Facebook (Safe Start Center) and Twitter (@safestartcenter).
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Get social!Visit the CEV Week campaign page to spread the word on social media. There you'll find sample messages and graphics to show your support for CEV Week.
We hope organizations and community groups such as law enforcement, mental health practitioners, educators, child welfare organizations and domestic violence victim advocates will share knowledge online and offline about how to prevent CEV and reduce its impact, as well as how to take action in their communities. Facts and resources to support you at every step are available in the CEV Week Toolkit and the Chicago Safe Start website.
As a partner or collaborator, you have the power to educate others, change behaviors, and help shape the future for children. We look forward to working with you to observe this important week!
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