Domestic Violence Effects On Children Research Paper

Research into the impact of domestic violence on children evidences three overlapping contexts within child experiences; firstly, where they either directly or indirectly witness the violence, instances where they are entangled in the violence or are being used in the abuse and thirdly, circumstances where they are themselves abused (Radford and Harne 2008). There are many impacts on a child when domestic violence occurs; short term and long term. These range from physical, behavioural and physiological effects which can be influenced by a number of factors like race, gender, disability, etc. Some of these effects are; physical injuries, withdrawal, self-harm, self-blame, silent and secretive, bedwetting, depression, disruptions in school, eating difficulties and low-self-esteem (Pearson, Harwin and Abrahams.

The aim of this report is to highlight the fact that children are indeed affected by domestic violence, and to utilise extracts from recent research to illustrate the point. Krug et al. (2002) have observed that children who have seen the abuse of a parent are likely to display psychological and behavioural issues that a child unaffected by domestic violence would not, such as suicidal tendencies, self-esteem issues and anxiety disorders. This report will look into three main categories, the first being what children know and understand about domestic violence, which shall touch on the

Domestic violence is a widespread sociological problem wherein women and children are most often the victims. This sociological problem is compounded by the fact that so much domestic violence goes under-reported, whether against women or children. Domestic violence may take a wide range of forms and may include a variant combination of battery, sexual abuse, verbal abuse or general violence. Targets of such behaviors may include a spouse, child or both. For the purposes of this research, there will be an interest in noting the impact on children who are exposed to violence both directly as the victims of abuse or indirectly as witnesses to spousal abuse. In either instance, the same findings are anticipated. Namely, the primary thesis driving the

It is estimated that between 10 and 20 percent of children in the United States are exposed to domestic violence annually (Carrell & Hoekstra, 2010). What are the thoughts and feelings of children who are exposed to violence within the home? Children who are exposed to domestic violence can become fearful and anxious. They tend to be on guard, watching and waiting for the next event to occur, a sense of hypervigilance. What are the outcomes of these children as they get older? Does the cycle of abuse continue as adults? The answers to these questions will be further discussed in this paper.

Domestic violence is defined as violent or aggressive behavior, usually abuse involving a spouse. Domestic violence is a very dangerous act and has been occurring for decades. In most cases the abusers are men and the victims are women, being physically and emotionally abused. Physical abuse is an intentional act of causing injury to one, in other words “putting your hands on someone”. Emotional abuse is the act of verbal assault, humiliating one ,and tearing one’s self-esteem down .Sadly in a lot of cases that I have research a child is involved, or the couple has a child who witnessed the abuse occur. Children who have witnessed abuse or experienced it go through a lot. In all of the cases the child is witnessing a parent usually the victim, being abused by their spouse (boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, etc.), who watched or was once abused as a child so they think it’s normal. The book titled “Damage, children” explains how about 90 percent of the time the abusers are men who” suffer from a drug problem or was once abused as a child”. Continually elaborating into great detail about how” 15.5 million “children witness domestic violence, whether they see it or its being illustrated on them, now I’m not talking about a regular old slap or a pop to the backside but a brutal unnecessary assault. Witnessing domestic violence as a child affects the mind, these children are likely to deal with

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

Many children witness domestic violence each day. Most times, children witness their mothers being abuse by their fathers, step-fathers, or mother’s boyfriends. According to Couchenour and Chrisman (2011), “Women and children are at greater risk of being victims of abuse than are men” (p. 131). Witnessing violence or being abused at home has serious effects on children. This article explains the short-term and long-term effects that domestic violence has on children.

A nationwide concern has become prevalent and caused a developed of concern for children who have been exposed to intimate partner violence or domestic violence (DV). A percentage of the likelihood that a child will be exposed to physical domestic violence in the United States in their lifetime has been at approximately sixteen percent (Finkelhor et al. 2015). A child’s exposure to domestic violence might be

People are exposed to violence on a daily basis, whether it is through media, personal relationships, or simply observed during daily activities. The few types of violence that are most prominent in today’s society are physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, and domestic violence. Domestic violence is one of the most problematic and dangerous forms of violence that exist due to the detrimental effects it has on the individuals directly involved, children who witness these acts of violence, and society as a whole. Both men and women can be victims of domestic abuse, however, Safe Horizon states that, “1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence during her lifetime” (Safe Horizon). Everyone who experiences or witnesses domestic abuse are affected in detrimental ways. The abusers often have anger problems or lack of impulse control which only progresses. The victims become physically and emotionally scarred and the children who fall witness to parental domestic violence develop issues with emotional and behavioral functioning as well as social competence. More often than not, domestic violence is a learned behavior by children in abusive homes. Research conducted by The American Medical Association estimates that over 3.3 million children observe spousal abuse every year (Bennett, 1995). Because of this, children will believe this behavior is ‘okay’ and may even

Families who face domestic violence at home are more likely to have children with mental health problems than are parents who do not face domestic violence at home. A children being witness of domestic violence is also traumatic. Children are very vulnerable if they are facing their parents having domestic violence. For a child to witness a domestic violence is seeing actual incidents, hearing fighting noises, observing the physical abuse such as blood, tears, and broken items, and being aware of the next incidents that will happen when the father or mother comes in. On this study, researchers have shown that according to parent reports three hundred and forty children and young people 4.3 % have been witness of extreme domestic violence. Thirty

Children who experience domestic violence may have higher rates of externalizing behaviors, internalizing behaviors, and lower academic performance when compared to their same age peers not exposed to domestic violence (Kitzamnn et al., 2003; Evans et al., 2008; Holt et al., 2008; Bogat et al., 2006; Levendosky et al.,1998). A meta-analysis conducted by Kitzmann et al. (2003) found a significant effect size for children exposed to domestic violence and poor child outcomes. Kitzmann et al (2003) findings indicate that 63% of children who witness domestic violence had more externalizing and internalizing problems than children not exposed to domestic violence. A meta-analysis of 61 studies examining the rates of externalizing and internalizing behaviors of children who were exposed to domestic violence found medium effect size for internalizing behaviors and exposure to domestic violence. A medium effect size was also found for externalizing behaviors and exposure to domestic violence (Evans, et al., 2008). An association was also found between exposure to domestic violence and trauma symptoms in children (Evans, et al.,

Domestic violence has long been a hot topic and statics shows that” every 15 seconds a woman in the United States of America is beaten” (Beller 2015, p. 207). Most of what we talk about when we discuss domestic violence is the man or woman that is the victim, rarely via media does anyone put to the forefront the children. Children are the most affected by the effects of abuse in a relationship be it a marriage or partner situation. They are the unspoken and often unheard victims. There are many aspects or directions that can be undertaken in discussing the tiny victims of domestic violence. choosing only one aspect to share and hopefully shed some light on how this affects them as a child and possibly later in their emotional development and growth.

Domestic violence has an impact on children. Although they are not direct victims of the attacks, physical or verbal, the impact may cause them suffering serious problems in childhood and later in his adolescence and adult life.

Domestic violence has grown to become a prevalent issue within households in the United States. Being such a great issue, we come to question the percentage of children affected and the impact it has on their social development and interaction with others. It is crucial for us to understand and recognize the long term effects that domestic violence can have on adolescents.

Long-term problems are inevitable with young children who witness domestic violence inside their homes on a day to day basis. Most people who witness domestic violence as children see it as adults; males are likely to engage in domestic violence, while females are likely to become victims. With this