Trauma-Informed Care for Children Exposed to Violence: Tips for Engaging Men and Fathers.

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Safe Start Center.
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Designed for programs seeking to engage men and fathers, this brief explains the impact exposure to violence can cause on children and the harm that can result unless they receive support to help them cope and heal. The warning signs of exposure to violence are listed for children ages 5 and younger, children ages 6-12 years, and teenagers ages 13-18. The importance of fathers' engagement with their children to prevent and reduce the impact of exposure to violence is stressed, and the following recommendations are made for programs for engaging fathers: develop protocols to response effectively to men, fathers, and father figures; use self-generated cultural values to help men heal, learning parenting skills, and change their behaviors; use fatherhood to motivate men to expand their parenting skills; provide specialized, trauma-informed interventions to fathers; offer fathers who have competed batter intervention programs and renounced violence ongoing support and parenting skills; and establish meaningful relationships with community-based organizations to better serve fathers and their families. Information on mandated reporting requirements is also provided, as well as a list of additional resources.
