A recent survey by the U. S. government revealed that more than 60 percent of youngsters had either direct or indirect exposure to violence in the last one year. The survey involved children aged 17 and younger.

The survey also found out that half of the children who were surveyed were assaulted at least once in the past year and more than one out of 10 were injured as a result.

Almost one-quarter of the children were victimized by robbery and theft. Ten percent of the victims were maltreated which includes physical and emotional abuse and one in 16 were victimized sexually.

Some of the major categories that were covered in the survey include: conventional crime, child maltreatment, victimization by peers and siblings, sexual victimization, witnessing and indirect victimization, school violence and threats and internet victimization.

The findings of the survey recommend a need for further study of the long-term effects of violence on youth and improved policies to help children who are victims of violence.

The National Survey of Children’s Exposure to violence was sponsored by Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, with help from the Centers for Disease Control. It was conducted by university researchers.