Major sections of this paper focus on the developmental levels of various age groups, how they are likely to respond to violent experiences, and the therapeutic strategies that can best meet the developmental needs of the various age groups. The age groups addressed are infants and toddlers, preschoolers, school- age children, and adolescents. Case studies are provided for each age group. General advice is that the ways in which children negotiate the consequences of exposure to violence, bodily damage, and loss rely in large part on the capabilities of the people in their world to recognize and support attempts to work through the specific meanings, concerns, and restitutive attempts. When overlooked or misunderstood, children's attempts to ward off feelings of helplessness, guilt, or shame may have an enduring effect on adaptation and may derail the path of optimal development and functioning. 37 references