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Article Summary

Shin, N., and Edlsen, J.L. 2007.
A New Scale for Assessing Child Exposure to Domestic Violence. In Protecting Children, Vol. 22, Nos. 3 & 4 (Special Issue: Exposure to Violence), pp. 6-9.

In the opening paragraphs of this article, we learn of the extensive experience of authors Narae Shim, M.A., and Jeffrey L. Edleson, Ph.D., in domestic violence and other categories. The authors focus here on the Child Exposure to Domestic Violence (CEDV) scale, a new measurement tool they developed to study the prevalence of domestic violence exposure in children. The scale consists of 33 questions in 6 categories: Level of Violence, Exposure to Violence at Home, Exposure to Violence in the Community, Involvement with Violence, Risk Factors, and Other Victimizations. Using the scale, the authors conducted a study that included many children who experienced serious levels of violence and required residence in crisis shelters. The authors speculate that over time, the CEDV scale will evolve and adapt to suit the needs of the researchers using it. For now, however, it a useful tool for identifying varying levels of children’s exposure to domestic violence.