Researchers develop screening tool to identify exposure to violence and resulting trauma symptoms among youth

The National Institutes of Health estimates that millions of children and adolescents exposed to violence each year are more likely to suffer behavioral, physical, emotional, social and mental-health consequences.

In other words, youth exposed to violence are at serious risk for a lifetime of distress.

In response to this pressing issue, researchers at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) have developed a groundbreaking screening tool—called the Violence Exposure and Trauma Screener for Youth (VETSY)—aimed at promptly identifying and addressing the psychological consequences of youth violence exposure and trauma.

Daniel Flannery, Distinguished University Professor and director of the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education at CWRU’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences led the research. The work is published in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect.

Flannery and his team of researchers used Cuyahoga County data collected from 2014 through 2022 as part of the federal Defending Childhood Initiative (DCI), which surveyed 20,532 at-risk youth ages 8 to 18 years in child welfare, juvenile justice and community agency settings.

The findings revealed alarming rates: 67% of youth reported experiencing at least one type of violence exposure within the last year, while 55% admitted to perpetrating at least one type of violent behavior. Nearly 70% reported experiencing at least one trauma symptom.

“Our findings underscore the urgent need for mental-health providers to detect and refer these youth for additional assessment and treatment,” said Flannery, also the Dr. Semi J. and Ruth Begun Professor at the Mandel School. “By identifying violence exposure and trauma symptoms early on, we can intervene effectively and mitigate the long-term consequences for these vulnerable individuals.”

The VETSY screener—essentially a 17-item, self-report questionnaire—exhibited strong validity as evidenced by an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), according to the research. But Flannery emphasized the significance of the VETSY screener in quickly and reliably assessing at-risk youth.

In addition to vital information—like name, age, gender, ethnicity—the screener includes questions about violence exposure and perpetration, fear, self-harm and trauma.

“The development and validation of the VETSY brief screener represents a significant leap forward in addressing youth violence and trauma,” Flannery said. “This innovative tool enables early detection and opens doors for tailored interventions to safeguard the well-being of at-risk youth.”