On June 29, 2022, the D.C. Policy Center’s article, Proximity to homicide exposure in Washington, D.C., 2021, was cited by WUSA 9:
Data showing how many D.C. kids are impacted by shootings reflects just how important that support is.
The DC Policy Center mapped it out.
“On average, when a homicide happened in DC [in 2021], there were about 2,800 kids that were nearby,” executive director of the center, Yesim Sayin said.
Sayin said in areas that see more violent crime, that number can get up into the hundreds of thousands.
“The trouble with this kind of exposure to violent crimes is it’s an adverse childhood experience,” she said. “Kids carry these experiences with them for their lifetimes. And they can actually become physically ill if they’re exposed to violent crime as children, they can experience mental health problems. So this is ultimately a health disparity.”
Related: Proximity to homicide exposure in Washington, D.C., 2021 | D.C. Policy Center