About Children and Teens

Domestic violence and sexual assault affect children, teenagers and young adults both directly and indirectly. Children live in homes where they witness and experience domestic violence, threatening their safety and sense of security. Children and teens may experience physical and sexual violence by people they know or by strangers. More than 20% of teenage girls and boys in 8th through 12th grade report being physically or sexually hurt by a date - this statistic is both staggering and unacceptable.

The links below can help you answer questions about your own relationship or what you see around you. We recognize that many of us prefer to solve problems alone; sometimes the problem is too big and you may need to reach out to a trusted adult to get help for yourself or a friend.

Children and Domestic Violence

• Child Witness To Domestic Violence - Common Questions
• Children And TV
• Domestic Violence And Child Abuse - How DSS can help
• Effects On Children
• Principles Of Support for Children Who Witness Violence

Dating Violence and Sexual Assault

• Teen Advice Online
• Teen Dating Violence (temporarily unavailable)
• Teen Voices

The Innocence Quilt

Christine Spencer is dedicated to raising awareness about violence against children and its lifelong effects. She is starting a project called “The Innocence Quilt” and is looking for people to contribute a quilt block to honor child victims of violence. For more information on this project, please visit her website by click here.

Please visit our Related Links section for a more extensive listing of information that you may find helpful.