Closed Doors: The Impact Of Domestic Violence On Children

The child’s exposure to domestic violence in the family is one of the causes of juvenile delinquency. Several studies reveal that children who witness domestic violence are more likely to be affected by violence as adults – either as victims or perpetrators. Children who grow up with violence in the home learn early and powerful lessons about the use of violence in interpersonal relationships to dominate others, and might even be encouraged in doing so. (Behind Closed Doors The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children). Furthermore, according to a study conducted by Gorman-Smith and her colleagues, data show that children are more likely to resort to violence if there is violence within relationships that they may share with their family (Gorman-Smith,

(The National Child Traumatic Network) Likewise, witness the violence against their mother/carter, or see their fear, hear it in another room, or have to hide or run from abuse, have to tippy-toe around an abuser to try to prevent outbursts, have to comfort, clean up or take additional responsibilities for siblings/carers following violence, are victimized for supporting their mother or carer, are encouraged to join in with verbal abuse or contempt for their mother or carer, cannot be cared for properly as the abuse is either directly preventing it, or is causing poor mental health and exhaustion for the carer , experience disrupted attachment with their mother or primary carer as infants, or the normal co-regulation of emotions between a mother and infant is disrupted, are abused themselves, have an acquired brain injury from physical abuse and are forced to have ongoing contact with someone of whom they are scared or whose presence is a ‘trauma trigger’, following previous incidents where the children have been

Some children lose the ability to feel empathy for others. Others feel socially isolated, unable to make friends as easily due to social discomfort or confusion over what is acceptable. (Child Welfare Information Gateway). Moreover, the child may manifest some symptoms associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, have difficulty focusing and concentrating in school, and have difficulty establishing good peer relationships, more aggressive and fight more often, less willing to try new things, at greater risk to become violent themselves and at risk for adjustment problems in young adulthood (Child Witness to Violence Project). Also, they may learn to solve their problems using violence, rather than through more peaceful means and may learn that it is acceptable to behave in a degrading way to other people, as they have seen this occur in the violent episodes they witnessed or copying their parental role models and behaving in similarly destructive ways in their adult relationships. (Better Health Channel). All these effects can be sum up to the three major effects of domestic violence within their homes: physical health problems, behavior problems in adolescence (e.g., juvenile delinquency, alcohol, substance abuse) and emotional difficulties in adulthood (e.g., depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD) (The National Child