Who
We Are
Suggestions
Related Sites
Search
 |
|
Story Starters: Violence Folder: School Violence File
Story Lead:
Homeless boy’s experience with violence.
Synopsis
When two-year old Gerry first came to the Community Children’s Center, he did not say a word to anyone. A speech specialist brought in by the center determined that he was suffering from something called selective mutisim—he would tune people out when he wanted to. He was fearful, anxious, asocial, and had an extremely hard time separating from his mother at the beginning of every day. Gerry was also homeless.
The Community Children’s Center provides child care for 71 homeless preschool children while their mothers are at work, going to school, or looking for jobs. The center offers these children a safe, nurturing environment in a world where their lives are otherwise potentially chaotic and anxiety-provoking. The teachers and staff at the Community Children’s Center attempt to provide the homeless children with the stability necessary to build a sense of self-worth and positive self-esteem.
The teachers at CCC, who are accustomed to dealing with homeless children, were still slightly perplexed by the extent of Gerry’s fear and anxiety. Then Gerry’s mother confided that before she left home, Gerry had often witnessed her boyfriend beating her up. After hearing this information, Gerry’s teachers better understood his silence. Even if children only witness violence, and are not the intended targets, they can be affected in the same way as children who are physically and sexually abused (Goodman, G. & Rosenberg, M.).
The teachers in the Community Children’s Center are attuned to identifying and working with children with special needs. "A good percentage witness or are victims of violence," said the Center’s director, Karla Rideout. In fact, an estimated 50% of homeless women and children are running from abusive situations (The Good Samaritan Homeless Center for Women with Children website).
The Center enrolled Gerry’s mother into a support and parenting skills group for parents experiencing domestic violence. And Gerry was provided with months of intensive teacher interaction, play therapy, and visits to the Child Witness to Violence Program to help him to deal with his past experiences and begin to trust people again.
While preschoolers who encounter such problems as homelessness are certainly at high risk for stress and behavioral problems, research suggests that homelessness in not as significant in determining outcome as the level of stability in the child’s life (Scmitz, Wagner, & Menke). No matter what the adversity, an environment such as the Children’s Community Center, which provides care, consistency, and attention, can assist a child to cope with and overcome the problems s/he has faced and will continue to face.
Program
The Community Children’s Center
Horizons Initiative
90 Cushing Avenue
Dorchester, MA 02125
(617) 287-1900
email: Horizonsini@aol.com
- CCC serves 71 homeless children, ages 2 months to 6 years, and has a staff of 25, and dozens of volunteers and parents.
- CCC received accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children in 1998. This accreditation has been attained by 5% of all childcare centers in the nation.
- CCC provides children with transportation to get to the center from 12 family shelters.4
- CCC offers programs on parental education to all the parents of children that attend the center.
- "The Community Children's Center focuses on helping homeless families achieve and maintain stable long-term housing, increase their skills and income level and gain more control over their lives. At the same time, it helps them deal with the stigma and other issues displaced families face daily (The Horizons Initiative. (March, 1997). The Provider, p. 3.)".
Story Contacts
Karla Rideout
Director of Community Children's Center
90 Cushing Ave
Dorchester, MA 021525
(617)287-1900
Relevant area: Children and homelessness, abuse, and trauma
Expert Contacts
Robin Einzig, EDM
Ph.D. Student, Tufts University
Child Witness to Violence Project
(617) 627-3355
reinzig@emerald.tufts.edu
Relevant area: children & trauma
Judy Hunt
LICSW and Counselor
Child Witness to Violence Project
1 Boston Medical Center Place
MAT5
Boston, MA 02118
(617)414-5442
Relevant area: children & trauma
Betsy McAllistor-Groves
Child Witness to Violence Project
1 Boston Medical Center Place
MAT5
Boston, MA 02118
Relevant area: children & trauma
Maxine Weinreb
Child Witness to Violence Project
1 Boston Medical Center Place
MAT5
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 414-3662
Relevant area: children & trauma
Background
Families with children makeup nearly 40% of people who become homeless.
(National Coalition for the Homeless. 1012 Fourteenth St. NW #600. Washington,
DC 20005-3410 (202) 737-6444. http://nch.ari.net)
Witnessing violence in the home can be as traumatic for children as being
a victim of violence—children may suffer PTSD or show evidence of other behavioral
or emotional problems. (Zuckerman, B., Augustyn, M., McAlister-Groves, B.,
& Parker, S. Silent Victims revisited: The special case of domestic violence.
(1994) American Academy of Pediatrics. For reprints, contact Professor
and Chairman, Boston City Hospital, 818 Harrison Ave., Talbot 214, Boston,
MA 02118.)
According to a 1997 survey of 29 U.S. cities, 25% of the urban homeless are
children. (National Coalition for the Homeless. 1012 Fourteenth St. NW #600.
Washington, DC 20005-3410 (202) 737-6444. http://nch.ari.net
)
In 1997 there were 1,500 children were homeless in the Boston area. (The
Horizons Initiative: Helping hands for homeless children (1997). Brochure
put out by The Horizons Initiative. 90 Cushing Ave., Dorchester, MA 02125.
Horizonsini@aol.com .)
Of the 1,500 homeless children in the Boston area 51% are 0-5 years of age.
(The Horizons Initiative: Helping hands for homeless children (1997).
Brochure put out by The Horizons Initiative. 90 Cushing Ave., Dorchester,
MA 02125. Horizonsini@aol.com.)
30-50% of the nations’ 220,000 school-age homeless children do not attend
school. (Committee on Community Health Services. Health Needs of Homeless
Children and Families. Pediatrics, 98 351-353.)
Four and five year old homeless children, when compared to normative groups,
had significantly more behavior problems (Schteingart, J. S., Molnar, J.,
Klein, T. P., Lowe, C. B., & Hartmann, A. H. (1995). Homelessness and
child functioning in the context of risk and protective factors moderating
child outcomes. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 24, 320-331.)
Research suggests that homeless children experience significantly more stress
than comparative populations (Davey, T. L. (1998). Homeless children and stress:
An empirical study. Journal of Social Distress and The Homeless, 7,
29-40.) and (Bassuk, E. L., Weinreb, L. F., Dawson, R., Perloff, J. N., &
Buckner, J. C. (1997). Determinants of behavior in homeless and low-income
housed preschool children. Pediatrics, 100, 92-100.)
Almost 1/4 of the homeless in America are children. (The Good Samaritan
Homeless Center for Women with Children. Spiritual Gift Ministries, Inc. 1117
Perimeter Center West, Suite 500E, Atlanta, Ga. 30338. (770) 399-8810. www.helpforwomen.org
References
Bassuk, E. L., Weinreb, L. F., Dawson, R., Perloff, J. N., & Buckner,
J. C. (1997). Determinants of behavior in homeless and low-income housed preschool
children. Pediatrics, 100, 92-100.)
Davey, T. L. (1998). Homeless children and stress: An empirical study. Journal
of Social Distress and The Homeless, 7, 29-40.)
The Good Samaritan Homeless Center for Women with Children. Spiritual Gift
Ministries, Inc.
1117 Perimeter Center West, Suite 500E, Atlanta, Ga. 30338. (770) 399-8810.
www.helpforwomen.org
Goodman, G. & Roenberg, M. (1987). The child witness to family violence:
clinical and legal considerations. In D. Sonkin (Ed.), Domestic violence
on trial: Psychological and legal dimensions of family violence, New York:
Springer.
The Horizons Initiative: Helping hands for homeless children (1997).
Brochure put out by The Horizons Initiative. 90 Cushing Ave., Dorchester,
MA 02125. Horizonsini@aol.com .)
National Coalition for the Homeless. 1012 Fourteenth St. NW #600. Washington,
DC 20005-3410 (202) 737-6444. http://nch.ari.net
Schteingart, J. S., Molnar, J., Klein, T. P., Lowe, C. B., & Hartmann,
A. H. (1995). Homelessness and child functioning in the context of risk and
protective factors moderating child outcomes. Journal of Clinical Child
Psychology, 24, 320-331.)
Zuckerman, B., Augustyn, M., McAlister-Groves, B., & Parker, S. Silent
Victims revisited: The special case of domestic violence. (1994) American
Academy of Pediatrics. For reprints, contact Professor and Chairman, Boston
City Hospital, 818 Harrison Ave., Talbot 214, Boston, MA 02118.)
Related Coverage
Bete, T. (March/April, 1996). He’s not heavy, he’s my brother. Early Childhood
News. p. 80.
Day care pays off for the homeless. (Oct. 18, 1995) The Boston Globe,
Metro-Region, B25.
Kleiman, C. (June 9, 1998). Child-care program gives homeless new start. Chicago
Tribune, Section 3, p. 4.
Lewis, D. E. (Mar. 17, 1998). Centers that care for the whole family. The
Boston Globe.
A place for homeless children. (October 19, 1994). The Boston Globe.
Ryan, M. (Sept. 21, 1997). Here every child is cared for. The Boston Globe,
Parade. p. 1
Compiled by:
Dan Leidl and Karen Smillie
Posted: April 10, 1999
Updated: Feb 15, 2000