Each year, during the third week of April, Chicago Safe Start hosts Childhood Exposure to Violence (CEV) Prevention and Awareness Week to help lead efforts to increase awareness and reduce the impact of children's exposure to violence. The intention is to highlight the unique challenges we face as a nation for preventing, treating and caring for children exposed to violence.According to the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV), 60 percent of American children are exposed to violence, crime or abuse in their homes, schools and communities. Be it bullying, domestic violence or child abuse, exposure to violence - particularly multiple exposures - can interfere with a child's physical, emotional, and intellectual development.
To stress the point that everyone plays an important role in CEV prevention, the theme for this year's CEV Prevention and Awareness Week is "Every Person. Every Day."
