Chicago parents concerned about rise in violence

Chicago parents concerned about this year's rise in homicides and shootings has led increased measures to protect their children from becoming innocent victims of violence, reported the Chicago Tribune. That often means setting rigid curfews, limiting where their children can play. or keeping their days filled with indoor activities. Children are chafing at the limits on their movements on hot summer days and long for the freedom that older siblings or friends in safer neighborhoods enjoy. "I want to be able to walk around in a neighborhood and not think about getting shot," said Samaiya Butler told the Tribune.

The fear of violence "gets really blown up in a parent's mind," Tali Raviv, a psychologist told the Tribune. The damage from even witnessing violence can be severe, though. James Garbarino, a professor at Loyola University Chicago who specializes in the psychological impact of violence on children, said youngsters who experience traumatic events can typically take a year to fully recover. For children raised in neighborhoods where violence is commonplace, he told the Tribune, "it's hard to say everything's back to normal because normal is the problem."