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Domestic Violence And Sexual Abuse

Decent Essays
Are physically, emotionally, and socially developmental issues a direct relation to a child who witnesses abuse in his/her home at a young age?
Introduction:
What is domestic violence? “Domestic Violence is a pattern of behaviors used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, often inclosing the threat or use of violence”(Safe Horizon, 2015). Domestic violence includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and exploitation; therefore, this is in relation to “intimate partner violence, battering, relationship abuse, spousal abuse, or family violence” (Safe Horizon, 2015). People usually look at the victim who is being attacked, but not at the children who are exposed to violence. 43% of female victims of domestic violence usually have their children in the same home as where the abuse occurs (The Facts on Reproductive Health and Violence Against, n.d.). Domestic violence not only affects the person being abused, but also the children who witness this abuse. There are roughly more than “3 million children” who have witnessed some sort of violence in his/her home “every year” (Wallace, 2014). Approximately, “30% to 60%,” (Safe Horizon, 2015) of these children who are exposed to this type of violence, can also suffer abuse and/or neglect; thus, putting them at risk for health problems. The effects of domestic violence on children are significant. “Children who witness domestic violence can suffer emotional and developmental
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