New video raises awareness of treatments for child victims of violence

Every year, millions of U.S. children and adolescents are exposed to violence and abuse, leading them to suffer dramatic long-term health, neurological and behavioral consequences.

In an effort to help these children get the services they need, APA has developed a new 15-minute video, "Victimized Children Need Evidence-Based Treatment," which tells the story of two adult men who were abused as children and their healing process. The video is part of the Effective Providers for Child Victims of Violence Program, a national training program for mental health professionals and others that provides the best available science to inform mental health providers and others on evidence-based trauma-focused assessment tools and treatment models for children victimized by violence.

"Our goal is to promote the Effective Providers Program and raise awareness about the importance of mental health providers also using science to make informed clinical decisions for the children under their care," says Julia da Silva, who directs the program. "Through these real-life stories, the video highlights the important role of behavioral therapy to help victimized children heal."

Created by APA's Public Interest Violence Prevention Office under a cooperative agreement with the Department of Justice/Office for Victims of Crime, the video is geared toward all health providers who work with children, as well as the agencies and organizations that support them. To learn more about the Effective Providers Program and its training sites, contact da Silva, APA's Violence Prevention Office director.