ShelbyCountyChildren.org

On January 26, 2011, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder stated: “In America today – more than three out of five children have been exposed to crime, violence, or abuse – in their neighborhoods, in their schools, or in their own homes.   And almost forty percent of children have been direct victims of two or more violent acts. The statistics go on and on – and, unfortunately, so too does the violence. The reality we face is nothing short of a crisis. But through eight demonstration sites –an effort is being made to develop breakthroughs in preventing, addressing, reducing, and more fully understanding children’s exposure to violence. And, ultimately, we will succeed in identifying and applying the solutions that our children need and deserve."

Defending Childhood was launched by US Attorney General Eric Holder  to focus on addressing children’s exposure to violence.  A key component of the initiative is a multi-year demonstration program. This included Justice Department funding for eight demonstration sites to develop and implement multi-disciplinary plans that specifically address prevention, intervention, treatment and response strategies to address children’s exposure to violence.

Department of Justice to:
• Prevent children’s exposure to violence;
• Mitigate the negative impact of children’s exposure to violence when it does occur, and;
• Develop knowledge and spread awareness about children’s exposure to violence.