Exposure to violence in children referred for psychiatric evaluation

One hundred consecutive patients referred to the Child Mental Health Section of Oranje Hospital in Bloemfontein for psychiatric evaluation were included in the study. Seventy-four per cent of children in the study reported exposure to some form of violence in the past: 32% reported exposure to domestic violence, 9% disciplinary violence, 15% violent crime, 2% political violel1fe, 24% sexual violence and 25% other forms of violen.ce. Political violence did not feature prominently in the study.S Afr Med J 1995; 85: 584-58