According to The United States Department of Justice, domestic violence is “… a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.”
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and while discussions are largely focused on the victims, whether in remembrance or through survival stories, what are often not discussed are the effects of domestic violence on
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Additionally, children may be aware of the tension in the home such as the victim’s fearfulness when the abuser is present. As a result, domestic violence can have a detrimental impact on children’s psychological, emotional, social and physical well-being, especially in habitual cases of domestic …show more content…
She had just had her third child, who was five months old at the time. My father sent us all away then he took control. I never saw her again, and he got away with killing her. I miss her so much. I was five and only found out the truth when I sought out city records in my early twenties. I confronted him and he denied responsibility, insists that she “suddenly died” while bound up and he was asleep. Even if it was an accident, who does that to his wife and mother of his children? I fight for women’s rights as a way to honor her memory, but it brings me no satisfaction, because even though he killed my mom, I still share events from my life with him. After all, he is my father.”
–Jess
Although witnessing domestic violence may be traumatic, each child reacts differently due to several factors, such as child’s age and gender, lifetime exposure -- frequency of abuse and severity, type of exposures and protective buffers that include female gender, intellectual ability, high socioeconomic status and social support. Nonetheless, the effects on children can be short-term, long-term, or both, and can manifest on an emotional, physical, social and behavioral levels and differs by age and developmental stage.
“Witnessing domestic violence is the single best predictor of juvenile delinquency and adult criminality. It is also the number one reason children run away.” – Domestic Violence