The Children Exposed to Violence Unit ("CEV") within the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney is the first of its kind in the nation. This is a trauma-informed unit that supports children from the time a violent crime is committed and is dedicated to reducing the impacts violence causes on children directly or indirectly.
The exposure of children to violence is a national epidemic that affects an estimated 46-million children in the United States. No matter where the violence occurs, at home, school, or in the community, exposure to violence is a uniquely traumatic experience for children with consequences that can last a lifetime.
Recognizing this troublesome reality, staff within the Children Exposed to Violence Unit are devoted to ensuring the safety and well-being of children through prevention, intervention and educational programs, while the Special Victims Unit focuses on prosecuting violent crimes.
Children Exposed to Violence and the REACH Team
When violence occurs in a community, children are often witnesses to the event and its aftermath. The impact of violence exposure is associated with learning, health, emotional and behavioral issues immediately following the event and also later in life.
The Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney, in partnership with Children's Institute, Tessie Cleveland CSC, A Place Called Home, LAPD’s Community Safety Partnership Bureau (CSPB), and several local nonprofit organizations, aim to ensure that children and families exposed to violence in LAPD's Southeast, 77th, and parts of Newton Division receive timely crisis intervention and trauma informed support services.
Additional Resources
- The REACH Team (for violent incidents in South LA where children are exposed directly or indirectly). 1-800-984-2404
- Ted Talk: How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, Pediatrician, Former Surgeon General of California
- Children’s Institute, Inc. (CII), (213) 385-5100
- Tessie Cleveland Community Service Corp.(TCCSC), (323) 586-7333
- Wellnest, (323) 766-2345
- Violence Intervention Program, (323) 221-4134
- National Domestic Violence Hotline, (800) 799-7923 (SAFE), (800) 787-3224 TTY
- Peace Over Violence, (626) 793-3385
- White Paper: Children Exposed to Violence - A Developmental Trauma-Informed Response for Prosecutors (link to PDF)
- List of Helpful Children's Publications (link to PDF)
- Sesame Street: Sesame Street Common and Colbie Caillat Belly Breathe with Elmo
- Office of the California Attorney General: First Impressions - Exposure to Violence and a Child's Developing Brain
- The Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, US Department of Justice: Through Our Eyes: Children, Violence, and Trauma
- The Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, US Department of Justice: Addressing Violence in the Home
- Monsters In the Closet: Domestic Violence From a Child's View