This information is from my own research, domestic violence course, and work I did with government officials, it is also downloads from source. It can not be copied, used or stolen from me as it is copyrighted.

There has been much research on how domestic violence affects children. The studies say that domestic violence and family violence affects children’s emotional and cognitive development, social functioning ability to navigate intimate relationships. These children who witness domestic violence have serious social and behavioural problems. It can include the abuser hitting or threatening a child, while in the mothers arms, seeing the effects of violence, the following morning from blood, bruising and damage to the home. Hearing loud angry voices once in bed, children who are exposed to domestic violence seeing the aftermath learning what happens to a mother. They can also be used by an abusive parent as part of the abuse. Children are not passive witnesses to these events that happen in their home. Those living in conflict and abuse will actively interpret, predict and assess their roles in causing a fight. They worry about the consequences and engage in measures to protect themselves or other siblings. They can also experience violence in the following ways.

1 Hitting or threatening a child while in mothers arms.

2 Being taken as a hostage to force a mother to return home to them.

3 Using a child as a physical weapon against the victim.

4 Forcing the child to watch assaults against the abused person.

5 Forcing the child to participate into the abuse of the parent.

6 Child may be injured when tying to intervene to protect the mother.

7 Child being physically caught up in the violence between adults.

8 Child being killed in the process of violence.

Here Is The Wheel of Abuse Of Children

Domestic Violence and Children

In homes where domestic violence occurs children are also at high risk by suffering psychologically over emotionally abuse whether or not they are physically abused. Witnessing domestic violence or living in a family where there is domestic violence has significant traumatic effects on children. They can also be as direct victim of physical and emotional abuse as perpetrators of domestic violence often abuse children too. Sixty eight percent of children in a phone poll shared that children in violent households were also abused. Children who experience Domestic violence are psychologically robbed of a stable home to live in. They are often terrified victims, young children, who depend on their parents to protect and care for them. They are psychologically vulnerable living in these situations. If they don’t feel safe they can not trust their caregivers to take good care of them both mentally, emotionally and physically. Their perception of danger with caregivers is a strong risk factor for them. If there caregivers/ mother is not safe then they are not safe either. This situation can be overwhelming for them. The younger the child the higher the chance they will have post traumatic stress disorder. They will also suffer from anxiety, sleep deregulatory, temper tantrums, aggression and impulsivity. There physical health will also be affected with domestic violence. They can have asthma, eczema, eating disorders, headaches, stomach pains, disturbed sleep, feeding problems, development delays from exposure to domestic violence. Babies will feel scared and unsafe. They don’t understand what is happening to them, with loud noises, banging, yelling, distracted tense, unhappy socially isolated mother, angry self -centred, inconsistent father. They can be physically harmed in accidents, or physical maltreatment, compromised nutrition and health. They can also become dissociated, hyper vigilant, hyper- alert to sounds and sights of violence. Children don’t understand what is going on around them. They will feel fear, confusion, guilt, anger, frustration, tummy aches and worry. They worry about their safety or being hurt. Sometimes feeling responsible for what is happening thinking it is there fault. They will worry about mummy or daddy being taken away by the police and not able to see them again. They can have nightmares about being harmed, will try to stop the violence and will yell at the abuser. Often feeling confused of what is really happening for them. They can also feel guilty like it is there fault they did something wrong.

Behaviours They Often Have

Anxious, whining or nervous behaviour, depression, nightmares, difficulty sleeping, bed wetting, withdrawal behaviour, behaviour problems, truancy, headaches and stomach aches low self esteem, insecurity poor concentration. A child may be hurt when attempting to protect their mother or when stuck by a weapon or thrown objects.

Infants can be hurt if being held by their mother when the abuser strikes out violence is often directed at pregnant women. Ninety percent of children present in violent homes had witnesses the violence perpetrated against their mother. From the Queensland Domestic Violence Task Force. Even when the children do not observe the violence, children are generally aware that it is occurring thought the obvious tension, fear and distress that they are so alerted to from their parents. They suffer enormous pain from physical and emotional blows inflicted by loved ones upon loved ones such children live in a home who are characterised by fear, cruelty and violence.

Children’s Thoughts And Feelings During The Cycle Of Violence

Show the wheel

Effect for children for infants, fretful sleep, slowness in development, physical neglect, fearful reaction to loud voices and noises.

For toddlers frequent illness, shyness, low self esteem, hitting, biting, trouble relating to others, bed wetting.

For school children frequent illness, be-wetting, hitting, stealing, lying, nightmares, self harm, poor school results, drug or alcohol abuse, anxiety, depression, few interests.

Children witnessing domestic violence does not only mean seeing physical violence between two adults in their family. It also means hearing it, but not necessarily seeing it. Feeling the tension in the home.

Living in fear

Hiding from it

verbal put downs

Children are like a sponge. They take in all they see and hear if it is violence they see, it is violence they learn!

Long term effects of domestic violence on children’s growing up to behave in the same way as their parents this especially true for boys.

Boys can become unkind to women close to them and may also abuse their own children.

Depression, anxiety, inability to form stable relationships.

Girls may become an ‘adult victims’ or may become an abuser themselves.

Most perpetrators of violence claim to have been abused themselves or to have witnessed abuse in their home. Domestic violence is often a learnt behaviour.