ICJIA CENTER FOR VICTIM STUDIES RESEARCHERS PRESENT AT THE 78TH ANNUAL AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY CONFERENCE

InfoNet research scientist, Lucia Fernanda Gonzalez, and fellow Center for Victim Studies researcher, Stephanie Nguyen, presented Safe From the Start (SFS) evaluation findings at the 78th Annual American Society of Criminology conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 16, 2023. SFS is a program that provides direct services to young children (0-5 years old) exposed to violence and to their families.

Their presentation titled, Addressing the Impact of Childhood Exposure to Violence: Safe from the Start Evaluation Findings, examined the characteristics and experiences of young children exposed to violence, including risk and protective factors, SFS program services received, and impacts of violence and service provision. Findings revealed that most children (81.5%) had witnessed domestic violence and 25.6% were at risk for developmental delays. Results also indicated that 37.9% of children had reduced emotional and behavioral problems and 25.4% of caregivers had a significant reduction in parental stress.