Fewer Children are Exposed to Violence

Rates of violent crime involving children have declined significantly since the 1990's, according to the results of an analysis of several national surveys that assessed children's exposure to violence.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics details these results, showing 27 noticeable declines in child-violence trends between 2003 and 2011.

The authors of the study previously complete three national telephone surveys of children and caregivers in the United States that reached back into the late 1990's. Now, using that data and data from more recent surveys, the research team from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) showed that there have been significant declines in assaults involving children that involved a weapon or were instigated by a sibling or a peer. The researchers were also able to determine that that emotional victimization -- common bullying -- dating violence, and sexual victimization all saw small but noticeable declines in prevalence.

 Interestingly, the researchers write that despite previous studies claiming that violence rises during times of economic adversity -- such as a recession -- they saw no indication of a rise in child-related violence during the U.S. recession period between 2008 and 2011.

Of 50 various forms of violence exposure, the researchers noted 11 declines in all between 2008 and 2011. The 39 additional instances of violence exposure remained constant or saw small and inconsequential rises in prevalence, according to the authors of the study.

According to a RedOrbit release that followed the study's publication, the UNH researchers theorize that this decline may in-part be due to the growing acceptance of adolescent use of psychiatric medication. Electronics, they say, may also be playing a role, where face-to-face bullying and violent contact may simply be getting replaced by "cyber-bullying."

The study was published in JAMA Pediatrics on April 28.