Experts Convene to Create Task Force Defending Children Against Violence

Following the release of the compelling findings of the first National Survey on Children Exposed to Violence (2009), Attorney General Eric Holder launched the Defending Childhood initiative in September 2010.  

More than 60 percent of the children were exposed to violence within the past year, according to the most recent National Survey of Children Exposed to Violence survey.

 To understand the issues and identify the most effective and scalable interventions, U.S. Attorney General has convened a National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence as part of the Department of Justice’s Defending Childhood Initiative. The task force is made up of leading experts from diverse fields and perspectives who are examining the extent and nature of the problem of children's exposure to violence as witnesses or victims and identifying policies and promising practices to address this epidemic.

The Task Force is holding a series of four public hearings. Each hearing gives people a chance to hear from experts, researchers and survivors of violence, and includes time for testimony from the public.

• The first hearing was held in November 29, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland and focused on understanding the scope of childhood exposure to violence. Among the experts giving testimony were Sonja Sohn, founder and CEO of ReWired for Change and star of HBO’s “The Wire”; Patrick McCarthy, President and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation; and Nigel Cox, Chair of the SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) National Advisory Board.
   
• The second hearing took place on January 31, 2012 in Albuquerque, NM, highlighting the issue of children’s exposure to violence in rural and tribal communities. Witnesses discussed specific challenges faced in rural and tribal settings, as well as effective responses tailored to meet the needs of these populations.  The hearing agenda is available on the Task Force website.
   
• The third hearing will be held in Miami, FL, in March 2012; and the final hearing will be held in Detroit, MI, in April 2012.

Can’t get there in person? You can join most hearings online for free. We’ll update this page as that information becomes available, or you can email defendingchildhoodtaskforce@nccdcrc.org for details.

For More Information

Frequently asked questions and answers about the Defending Childhood Initiative, the task force and its membership, as well as the upcoming hearing are available on the U.S. Department of Justice task force website in the link below.