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Violence follows violence

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

The cycle of violence can run through teen-age girls' lives. Researcher Beth Molnar of the Harvard School of Public Health found this. Her study in the Journal of the American Medical Association was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

The girls initially were asked whether they had been attacked or molested. Two years later, they were asked if they had done such things as been in a gang fight or mugged someone.

Girls who were victims were more than twice as likely later to have been violent.

Molnar says safer homes, schools and neighborhoods could break the cycle. She also says parents of girls who become violent should ask why:

"Violent behavior among their girls may be an indicator that the girls have been victimized. If this is the case, they should ensure that their daughters receive professional help." (seven seconds)

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: October 21, 2005

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