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15 Child L. Prac. 1 (1996-1997)

handle is hein.journals/chilawpt15 and id is 1 raw text is: AA- Child Law Pract Vol. 15 No. 1 March 1996 Helping Lawyers Help Kids INTERDISCIPLINARY EXCHANGE Children and Violence- A Conversation with Dr. James Garbarino by Claire Sandt James Garbarino, Ph. D., a child psychologist at the Family Development Center at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, has extensively researched child victims of violence, and has served as an expert scientific witness in criminal and civil cases involving issues of violence and children. He is codirecting a Training Institute at Cornell in June 1996 on What Kids Can Tell Us (for information, call 608/255-7794). In the following interview, Garbarino gives tips on: recognizing the effects of violence; * how to talk with and interview children; how to make good decisions for removal, placement, and reunifi- cation of the child; and • kinds of services to seek for children and parents. Qy What are some effects of violent trauma? Two categories exist: psyrhological and philosophical. Psychological effects include depression, hyperactivity, disruption of normal development, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Behavioral reinforcement of aggressive behavior is another common result of violence. This reinforcement increases the chance the child will act aggressively in the future. By the time a child reaches eight years, patterns of aggressive behavior can be observed. Unless addressed early on, it is more likely the child will act aggressively as an adult. Research consistently shows that school-aged children who kick, punch, and hit are aggressive later in life, unless there is intervention. The second category, philosophical effects, refers to how a child views the mean- ing of life. These children often lose confidence in the future. They have little sense of what life will bring them. They also come to view violence as normal and be- lieve the right response to ambiguous situations is anger and aggression. Older chil- dren, in particular, tend to give up on the future and school or careers mean very little. Q How could the effects of violence influence an attorney's ability to work with the child? What can they expect? The child may be easily distracted, show excessive aggression, be depressed, or (continued on p. 13) What's inside: CASE LAW UPDATE ........ 2 BETTER LAWYERING New ABA Standards for the Child's Attorney ....... 6 CAREER PATHS Finding a Public Interest Law Job ........................ 11