200 H Court and the Legal System—-Family Forensics
cope with life's stressors. Yet there is a general lack of knowledge and understanding
in terms of how growing up in such chaotic environments affects young children's
social, emotional, and cognitive development. Factors such as the public's lack of
understanding about the effects of family trauma only serves to hinder efficient and
effective intervention methods.
The literature clearly points to a link between family trauma and an intergenera-
tional cycle of violence and crime. Children who grow up in unstructured, chaotic,
and abusive homes are at an increased risk of engaging in violent or antisocial be-
havior. Thus, it is imperative that policy makers endorse services for children and
families which interface with police, schools, courts, community programs, and
health care settings. Solutions must encompass preventing trauma, early interven-
tion, and swift and clear repercussions for chronic or violent behavior. It is crucial to
reach children who experience such trauma long before they arrive at an age where
they act out their experiences in a violent manner. Another inherent component
to helping traumatized children is to provide information and counseling to the
caregivers in the children's lives.
Suggestions for Future Research
Future investigations of family trauma must investigate how familial trauma affects
children, and how it impacts communities and society in general. The present
findings provide some important insights into these issues; however, a great deal of
research still needs to be conducted. If family trauma perpetuates itself producing
a vicious cycle of violence, then it is imperative to explore what interventions can
break this cycle. Studies are needed which elucidate more fully the range and effects
of familial trauma and, more so, assess the effects of early treatment measures. We
therefore need a closer look at the extent to which some interventions may be more
effective than others in terms of differences between parental education, counseling
for families in crisis, or stricter accountability measures for perpetrators of such
violence. In addition, a gamut of preventative measures needs to be explored and
utilized in order to thwart the cyclical nature of family trauma and violence.
FAMILY VIOLENCE: HOMICIDE
Introduction
When most people think of violence, they think of an innocent victim being
attacked by a total stranger. The media exacerbates these fears by depicting the
perpetrator as an unknown, unidentifiable sociopath that sneaks around hunting for
prey. An obvious means of avoiding contact with such a person is to stay away from
the "bad" neighborhoods where such crimes are more likely to occur. The safest