Children Exposed To Family Violence

The first five years of a children’s lives are when he or she are most vulnerable to negative developmental effects due to trauma. More than half of the school age children in domestic violence shelters show clinical levels of anxiety or post traumatic stress disorders. (Myers, 2002) “Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an emotional illness that usually develops as a result of a terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise highly unsafe experience” (Edwards, 2009). Because children in these early ages have little understanding of the situation, children may interpret the acts of violence as a result of something they have done wrong. Small children will complain of stomachaches. Children may learn unhealthy was of dealing with anger, meaning they might have outburst of anger and rage or may just withdraw. Children may regress to an even younger age crying, whining or sucking their thumb. Children will learn that this violence is acceptable behavior. With out intervention and therapy, negative behaviors can be carried over to adolescence and adulthood (Moore, 2004).

Violence in any form can have a lasting effect on a person. Children who witness violence are permanently scarred because of what they are seeing. Children who witness family or domestic violence are affected in ways similar to children who are physically abused. Children are often unable to establish nurturing bonds with either parent and are at a greater risk for abuse and neglect if he or she lives in a violent home. Statistics show that an estimated 3.3 million children are exposed to violence against their mothers or female caretakers by family members in their home each year (Ackerman & Pickering, 1989). When a spouse, woman or male is abused, and there are

According to the United States department of Justice, Over sixty percent of American children are exposed to a type of violence every year (Finkelhor, D., Turner, H., Ormrod, R., Hamby, S., and Kracke, K. 2009). These forms of violence can be perpetrated by a victims home, community or school, with majority of children knowing the perpetrator(s). These experiences with violence whether primary or secondary, can cause serious psychological trauma to a child and in worst case scenarios death. The 2009 survey by the Department of Justice also found that children exposed to any form of violence were more likely to engage in violence in the future and almost forty percent of these children were exposed to multiple acts of violence ( pg.2). The

Family violence is a social problem, and it may affect individuals in the family differently. Many children with complex trauma histories suffer from different traumatic events. Which can be physical and sexual abuse, witnessing domestic and

Younger children do not have the ability to express or show their emotions which can cause behavioral problems. Even a child who witness domestic violence between their caregivers is more likely to suffer from emotional consequences from seeing violence. The long-term effects of exposure in young children can have negative effects in their later years. These outcomes have been documented as leasing to behavioral problems that include school dropout, violence, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, eating disorders, and even suicide attempts. In conclusion, when parents engage in any type of dynamic of domestic violence or aggression, their children, can be at an extreme disadvantage when it comes to emotional development. There are a variety of risk factors that can affect a child

Domestic violence can lead to several long-lasting effects for both adults and children. While growing up, children’s brains are very susceptible to remembering and reenacting what they have previously seen. In the case of domestic violence, children can suffer from adverse childhood experiences, ACEs, which have long-lasting effects such as having trouble with school work, personality problems, social development issues, and more cognitive struggles (UNICEF, 2006, p. 4). As discussed by Karen Kenney in her book “Domestic Violence” Emotional trauma can lead to elevated levels of stress which can cause a variety of health problems. This trauma can also cause depression which can lead to thoughts of suicide and cause PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress

Over 5 million children witness domestic violence across the U.S. each year. When a child/children are exposed to domestic violence; it affects their life aspects, such as learning, health, and social ability. Children who witness domestic violence often fault themselves and live in fear. Most children become dysfunctional and victims of child abuse. Domestic violence not only affects the victims of the crime but surrounding victims, also. Any child exposed to domestic violence can potentially commit domestic violence later on in life.

Exposure to domestic violence can impact the behavioral, social-emotional, and cognitive development of children. Children who are exposed to domestic violence tend to exhibit more aggressive behaviors with their peers, show signs of depression, and have a difficult time forming relationships (Brown & Bzostek, 2003). Cognitively, studies have shown that children exposed to domestic violence may have difficulties learning and concentrating in school, have difficulties with conflict resolution skills, and may believe in male privilege, (Brown & Bzostek, 2003). Concentration is difficult for children exposed to domestic violence because of how unsafe they may feel in their surroundings. They may be preoccupied with the violence that is

there is not a single news broadcast aired on television or radio that does not have at least one account of violence perpetrated against an individual or group.” (Crosson-Tower p.81). Our youths encounter violence in almost every aspect of their daily life at home, at school, through the media, or on the streets of their neighborhoods. I feel that when children are exposed to violence, they suffer and it tends to negatively affect children’s normal development and their future wellbeing. For instance, children that are exposed to domestic violence are more likely than those whom are not exposed to this type of violence to exhibit so same traits and are more likely to later be in an abusive adult relationship, as either aggressor or victim.

Children are exposed to domestic violence in many ways. They may hear parents threating each other, out of control reckless anger, or even se one parent assault the other one. Many children are affected by hearing threats to the safety of one parent whether it results in physical injury or not. Children who live in or around domestic violence are also at increased risk to become direct victims of child abuse. Domestic violence poses a serious threat to children’s psychological, emotional, and physical well being, especially if the violence is chronic.

Domestic violence witnessed by children alters their psychological development. Exposure to domestic violence is thought to be particularly damaging to children’s development because it typically involves both a perpetrator and victim(s) who are known to the child (Groves 1999). Preliminary evidence suggests that children who witness domestic violence and who are themselves abused exhibit greater

Children who encounter domestic violence face increased risk of exposure to traumatic events. These risks may include neglect, being directly abused, losing one or both of their parents. At birth, a baby’s brain is 25% of its adult weight, increasing to 66% by the end of the first year due to the “brain growth spurt” which occurs between the seventh prenatal month and the child’s first birthday. The developing brain is the most vulnerable to the impact of traumatic experiences during this time. New research on the brain development suggests that exposure to extreme trauma will change the organization of the brain, resulting in difficulties in dealing with stress later in life(NSW, 2002). Exposure to domestic violence can subject children to pervasive traumatic stress which leads to Post -traumatic Stress Disorder also known as PTSD. Post traumatic stress disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. It can occur after you have gone through an extreme emotional trauma that involved the threat of injury or death. Summarizing several studies, Rossman and colleagues report that 13-50% of youth exposed to interparental violence qualify for diagnosis of PTSD (NCBI,2007). Each child responds differently to trauma, some may be rigid and not exhibit negative effects. In 2011, child protective services received 3.4 million referrals, over 75 percent suffered from neglect which is one of the effects from children exposed to domestic violence. The National Comorbidity Survey

In homes where violence occurs, children are at high risk of suffering psychological and emotional abuse, whether or not they are physically abused themselves. Recent evidence clearly shows that living in a family where a parent is being abused has a significant traumatic effect on children.

The past few weeks of our gender studies class we have been discussing institutionalized violence. Our class has took an in depth look at how violence is subsequently lived privately and publicly ignored. Meaning these victims live a paralleled life, one private and another public. My family has a history of violence on my mothers side. She grew up with an abusive mother, this abuse still affects her to this day. Having his misconduct so close to me, I have seen the detrimental side effects it can lead to. There are many different types of abuse from verbal, physical, neglect, cultural and many others. Much of the violence we have discussed in class has been related to institutions. Such as the Chesney- Lind and Irwin and the school to prison pipeline readings. These readings and videos showed us how violence and crime is correlated inside of certain institutions. The children at NH experience much of the discrimination and violence already and there is the possibility it will only get worse at they grow with age. In this paper I will go over two of the reading we were assigned the past few weeks of class. The first is the Badness to Meanness reading which discussed the rise of female violence and bullying. The next article I will be going over is the prison to pipeline reading. Both of these tie directly into institutionalized violence and how much of it is privately live and publicly ignored.

Recently, there was an attack nearby at a campus in UC Merced; where a young man at the age of eighteen, attacked his classmates by stabbing them with a knife. Why he did it is still being investigated but I can only wonder, what if he received knowledge and help at a younger age to cope with these desire of violence, if it might have prevented him from acting out his violence and aggressive behavior toward his victims. Whether the behavior is being acted out at home or in a public place, to a family member or a stranger, this issue must be address to help protect our children from hurting others and themselves as time progress. With no help, as time develop things gets worst; this goes for anything. Children are too young and emotionally unstable to handle or hold back any kind of violence and aggressive behaviors or understand the consequences associated with an act of violence. Children have to be taught how to control anger and address their anger and emotions. Addressing and bringing up this issue to children at a younger age could help our children cope with the difficulties they face when violent or aggression is triggered. I am now going to review the literature regarding different types of educational programs and the important roles of teachers to help reduce violence and aggression in children.