The impact of violence on adolescents in schools: a case study on the role of school-based health centers.

School-based health centers (SBHCs) emerged in the late 1960s as a response to concerns about the health care needs of undeserved children and adolescents who were often left out of the health care system. Most SBHCs provide an array of primary health care services such as routine health screenings, immunizations, acute care for common conditions, behavioral risk assessments, and health education on various topics. One of the most important functions of an SBHC is the provision of psychological services for teenagers experiencing depression, adjustment difficulties, substance abuse, and trauma. SBHCs may also serve as an important resource for those students affected by violence through the provision of crisis intervention, grief counseling, and on-going violence prevention education.