Domestic Violence Against Children - Essay Example

Behavior and standards of conduct are internalized by children as they grow older and they base it on their moral models, primarily, their parents (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2010). Social learning theory states that moral habits are formed from the expectations and reinforcements that have been set on a child, internalization of their habits as they grow older, and influenced by their primary environment and situational influences. It is also important to consider that social learning is influenced by the social cognitive theory that recognizes the importance of the capacity of the human mind to understand and modify human behavior according to their experiences and future goals.

            With this, the new policy of the Department of Job and Family Services serves to ensure that the children will have the proper role models that will reinforce and encourage good moral behavior. Children with abusive and problematic behavior tend to show patterns of undesired conduct that may eventually lead to the children imbibing these problematic behaviors as they grow older. The more they are exposed to these models, the higher the chances that they will exhibit the same aggressiveness and abusive behavior. Although the new policy has a good aim of protecting these children, there is also a question of ethics that may arise with this policy.

The new policy insists that children be taken from their households even with only two incidences of problematic behavior then the parents will have to undergo treatment, therapy, or counseling before the children can be given back to their care. This method actually severs family ties and changes the developmental needs of children significantly (DePanfilis & Salus, 1992). Maintaining the family complete and intact ensures that the children will have a connection and bond with their families, even if it may be dysfunctional. It is, then, important to guarantee their safety while protecting the family as a unit. The new policy may protect children from harm, but it does not protect them from the disadvantages of being disconnected from their families. The new policy should, then, recognize the need of empowering the parents with problem behaviors to continue correcting their behavior while their children are with them to be able to provide them with their developmental needs, as well as, a positive environment that will enforce good and positive behavior.

            The Department of Job and Family Services may have had the best in their minds when they created this policy. However, they forgot to take into account the importance of family connections and the primary developmental needs of children when they imposed that children should be taken away from their families if there is a case of problematic behavior in the family (Peterson & Hann, 1999). Taking children away from their parents should be the last resort, unless they are the direct victims of their parent’s abusive behavior, for instance, in the case of child abuse. One documented case of a domestic problem should not be enough to sever the ties between the child and his parents, as this will pose even more uncertainty, insecurity, and problematic behaviors with the child. It may begin feelings of guilt, anger, and other negative feelings towards the severance of their ties with their parents, either blaming themselves or blaming their parents. Point taken that children should be protected from the influences of their parent’s problematic behavior but a positive learning outcome may arise for both children and parents when the parents undergo counseling, treatment, or therapy with the support of the family.