The Attorney General’s Defending Childhood Initiative focuses on breaking the cycle of violence that affects the most vulnerable Americans.  On April 14, 2011, Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli joined U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen and other community leaders at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week celebration to discuss the Defending Childhood Initiative and the department’s efforts to prevent children’s exposure to violence.

Speaking at the ceremony, Associate Attorney General Perrelli stated:

“The Defending Childhood initiative seeks to redefine how the Justice Department responds to children who experience violence, witness violence or suffer ongoing negative ramifications from violence.   Research tells us that for every child that comes in contact with the criminal justice system, there were 20, 30, 40, 100 moments in time where early intervention could have made a profound difference. So, we hope to harness resources from across the Department – and across other federal agencies and state, local and tribal partners – first, to prevent exposure to violence when possible; second, to mitigate the negative impact of violence when it does occur; and third, to develop knowledge and spread awareness that will ultimately improve our homes, cities, towns and communities. We are integrating our efforts to protect and assist children exposed to violence into everything we do at the Justice Department.  The Defending Childhood Initiative takes this a step further by calling for direct action in targeted communities.”

A National Survey on Children Exposed to Violence documented the extent to which the same children are often victimized again and again.  A child who has been physically assaulted in the past year is five times as likely to also have been sexually victimized and more than four times as likely to also have been maltreated during that period. 

Children who are exposed to violence are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, suffer from depression and anxiety, have problems in school, experience or perpetuate dating violence and engage in criminal behavior later in life.

“This is why we have to stop these trends—and we have to stop them early.  And I am proud to say that the Department of Justice is taking action,” said Assistant Attorney General Perrelli.

To learn more about the Defending Childhood Initiative, visit: www.justice.gov/defendingchildhood