Leaving a Mark on Today's Youth

By Nancy Harris

July 16, 2004

"A child's life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark." -Chinese proverb

There's no question that children are our communities' most precious resource. Unfortunately, many children in southeastern Colorado experience trauma in the form of crime, domestic violence, accidents, injuries, and abuse. Family violence alone costs the nation from $5 to $10 billion annually in medical expenses, police and court costs, shelters and foster care, sick leave, absenteeism, and non-productivity (American Medical Association statistic).

According to information from the National Institute of Mental Health, people react differently to experiences of violence. Resilient children may suffer only worries and bad memories that fade with emotional support and the passage of time. Others are more deeply affected and experience long-term problems. Reactions to trauma may appear immediately after the traumatic event or days and even weeks later. Loss of trust in adults and fear of the event occurring again are responses seen in many children and adolescents who have been exposed to traumatic events. A child or adolescent who previously has been the victim of child abuse or some other form of trauma, or who already had a mental health problem, often has a difficult reaction to further abuse or violence.

Something is being done in our communities to erase the mark of violence. During national mental health month, Southeast Mental Health Services teamed up with the Arkansas Valley Resource Center and the Domestic Safety Resource Center to create and distribute tote bags to children who have experienced violence. The tote bags include stuffed animals, coloring books and crayons, and resource and referral information for follow-up to a counseling professional. Both resource centers work with the Colorado State Patrol to identify crime victims and offer support and referral.

For more information, visit the National Institute of Mental Health's website: www.mmh.nih.gov, or contact Southeast Mental Health Services at (719) 384-5446 in La Junta or (719) 336-7501 in Lamar.