The Effects Of Domestic Violence On Children

Lorenzo 'Shakes' Carcaterra was a boy from Hell’s Kitchen, New York, in the 1960’s. Shakes is of Italian decent and lives with his father and mother in a small apartment. Lorenzo’s father worked long hours for little pay and was quick to anger and used violence to control the household. Shakes witnessed the physical and emotional abuse of his mother. He never confronted his father, but always tried to play the peacekeeper between the two. Shakes mother was not fluent in English and had a hard time connecting to the community and her son. The trauma that Shakes went through because of the domestic violence shaped his psychological and social development. Shakes was a resilient kid and sought social support from three boys: Thomas "Tommy" Marcano, Michael Sullivan, John Reilly and various other men in his community.

Just about everyone out there can say they know someone who has been affected my intimate partner violence. Or most often they have been a victim themselves but the point is intimate partner violence is so widespread that it has often been referred to as an epidemic. Most dictionaries roughly define the word epidemic as affecting many people at the same time or a rapid increase or spread in the occurrence of something. That right there can easily be compared to the problem with intimate partner violence. Some may believe that intimate partner violence only happens in poor homes or poor communities because it’s so closely associated with poverty, drugs and alcohol. Contrary to what many may

Groves, B.M. (1999). Mental Health Services for Children Who Witness Domestic Violence. The Future of Children, 9(3), 122-132.

The formative experiences that define a child's home life will have a lasting impact on the individual as he or she enters the later stages of childhood, adolescence and adulthood. The degree to which one's family life is loving, nurturing, supportive and attentive is a substantial determinant in emotional, social and intellectual development. Accordingly, a home which is abusive, violent, negative and neglectful is more than likely to have deleterious effects for the child both while and well after maintaining residence there. This turns us toward the focus of the present study, which is the impact levied by domestic violence on children.

In the present literature review, the effects of intimate partner violence on children are primarily discussed. The overlapping of exposure to intimate partner violence and targeted child abuse are discussed thoroughly as well in relation to the impact these types of violence have on the development of children. The main body of the present literature review focuses on the prevalence of intimate partner violence, the overlapping of intimate partner violence and child abuse, outcomes for these children as a result of either witnessing and/or experiencing abuse, and potential mediating factors that could contribute to these finding. The second part of the literature review focuses on specific issues and difficulties concerning this research.

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.

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.

It has been well documented that children exposed to domestic violence suffer many forms of trauma, particularly children who witness violence inflicted by one parent on the other parent.

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.

Millions of women and men are hiding a terrifying secret, they are being abused by someone they love. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline nearly half of all women and men in the United States have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Domestic violence is more common then you may think and affects all types of people. Victims of domestic violence have often succumbed to the controlling patterns of their abuser. For many, once they realize how bad their situation is, it is too late.

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.

Domestic violence is defined as “any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality” (Home Office, 2013, p.2). The Home Office (2013) further clarified the types of abuse to include physical, psychological, sexual, financial and emotional. The survey conducted last year in England and Wales showed 8.5 percent of women (estimated 1.4 million) and 4.5 percent of men (estimated 700,000) reported as victims of domestic violence (Office for National Statistics, 2015). As regards to Police recorded in England and Wales during 2013/14, about 46% of all female victims of homicide were killed by current or former partners, while only 7% of all male victims of homicide were (Office for National Statistics, 2015). Furthermore, Harned (2001) reported that women were more likely to be victims of sexual violence, whereas men were more likely to experience as psychological aggression victimisation.

It is projected that children who have witnessed their parents abusing one another or experience abuse themselves sometimes resemble abused children, sometimes resemble comparison children, and sometimes fall between the two. This calls for people’s intervention if we will be able to foster a safe environment for our children to live in and spare them the trauma they have to go through by witnessing violence. A strong evidence shows that children and their families can be better supported by professionals who have undertaken training in responding to domestic violence, underpinned by clear protocols between agencies setting out their respective roles and responsibilities. For example, training of police officers can both dispel myths about the nature and seriousness of domestic violence as well as better equipping officers in how to respond effectively and helpfully (Eigenberg et al., 2012).

Throughout the course of one’s lifetime, there are countless events that shape the personality, actions and mentality of that individual. Some of these events will affect the individual in a positive way allowing great life opportunities, while other events will unfortunately affect the individual in a negative way which can lead to disorders. Among the various events that can affect a person, one of the most common occurrences that some children witness early on in their lives that deeply affect their long-term mental health is being a witness to domestic violence. Research and observations that were studied revealed that there are multiple factors that can contribute to a child witnessing domestic violence. The more categories that the

Domestic violence affects 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men (NCADV, 2015). Although the devastating effects that domestic violence has on women are well known, there is a population of domestic violence victims that we tend to overlook. These are the children of the women and men who are in domestic violence situations. Children are the invisible victims when it comes to domestic violence. There are many statistics being thrown around when it comes to the number of children who are exposed to domestic violence; they range from as little as 200,000 to even 3-18 million (Sousa et. al., 2011). A 2001 study discovered that in 75% of the cases in their study, children were present in the home during the assaults (Hutchison & Hirschel, 2001).