Funding for this material was provided by the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority. The views and statements expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of IVPA.

Violence & Young Children

Age	Developmental Tasks	Effects of Trauma	Possible Symptoms
Infants Birth to 18 Months	Building a sense of security Learning to trust parents, family members, and others to lovingly take care of basic needs	World begins to feel like a scary place Bonding is affected because the environment is not trustworthy and dependable	Changes in sleeping and eating paterns Clinginess Difficulty separating from adults (especially from parents)
Toddlers 18 to 36 Months	Growing feelings of independence Using words or gestures to communicate needs and express feelings Interacting with peers	Development of language, curiosity, and exploratory skills are interrupted Decreases the ability to develop skills to get along with others	Difficulty paying attention Isolation Fearfulness Aggressiveness Reactions to loud noises
Preschoolers 3 to 5 Years	Separating fantasy from reality Realizing how thoughts and feelings are related to consequences Playing cooperatively with peers	Abnormal thinking about themselves and the world around them	Aggressive behavior (Frequently boys) Withdrawal (Frequently girls) Re-experiencing the event nightmares Loss of appetite Loss of skills Trouble concentrating

Young children need loving and nurturing relationships with adults to help them develop positive relationships with their peers.

The closer violence occurs to children, the more it can affect them.

Macon County Child Advocacy Center
164 N. Edward St. • Decatur, IL 62522
Phone (217) 422-6294 • Fax (217) 422-6590
Email: mccac4kids@aol.com