Developmental Patterns in Exposure to Violence

The following excerpt is from the National Survey of Children Exposed to Violence, sponsored by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Victimization in Infancy

Most common victimizations during this period:

  • Assault by a sibling
  • Assault with no weapon or injury
  • Witnessing family assault

Victimization in the Toddler Years (Ages 2 to 5)

Most common victimizations during this period:

  • Assault by a sibling
  • Assault with no weapon or injury Bullying (physical)
  • Witnessing family assault

Victimization in Middle Childhood (Ages 6 to 9)

Peak risk period for:

  • Assault by a sibling
  • Assault with no weapon or injury
  • Bullying (physical)
  • Emotional bullying/teasing

Victimization in Preteens and Early Adolescence (Ages 10 to 13)

Peak risk period for:

  • Assault with weapon
  • Sexual harassment (same rate ages 10 to 17)
  • Kidnapping
  • Witnessing family assault
  • Witnessing intimate partner (interparental) violence

Victimization in Later Adolescence (Ages 14 to 17)

Peak risk period for:

  • Assault with injury
  • Assault by peer (nonsibling)
  • Genital assault
  • Dating violence
  • Sexual victimizations of all types
  • Sexual assault
  • Sexual harassment (same rate ages 10 to 17)
  • Flashing or sexual exposure
  • Unwanted online sexual solicitation
  • Any maltreatment
  • Physical abuse
  • Psychological or emotional abuse
  • Witnessing community assault
  • Exposure to shooting
  • School threat of bomb or attack

The National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV) is the most comprehensive nationwide survey of the incidence and prevalence of children’s exposure to violence to date.

Conducted between January and May 2008, it measured the past-year and lifetime exposure to violence for children age 17 and younger across several major categories: conventional crime, child maltreatment, victimization by peers and siblings, sexual victimization, witnessing and indirect victimization (including exposure to community violence and family violence), school violence and threats, and Internet victimization.

Click here to download the entire survey article and summary results, written by David Finkelhor, Heather Turner, Richard Ormrod, Sherry Hamby, and Kristen Kracke.