Effect of Domestic Violence on Children - Research Proposal Example

EFFECT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON CHILDREN Derek Ferreira Kaplan October 2, Introduction Domestic violence on children refers to the impact that is directed on a child who grows up in a family whereby the parents/spouses are always abusing each other. This research will cover the effects of domestic violence on children. Domestic violence is a menace that continue to affect the very families we rely on for bringing up people who make tomorrow better than today. This paper looks into details the type of the data that is required to analyze and understand the topic, “Impact of Domestic Violence on Children.” To carry out the research successfully, the researcher has to have a clear schedule of the activities to be carried out, choose the best data-collection method, and have a clear budget plan that matches the targeted population and the sampling design. The researcher should have knowledge on how to present and analyze the data collected. The researcher should keep the right level of ethical standards and carry out the research without any bias. He should at the same time accord the respondent the highest level of confidentiality and ensure honest response from the respondents. In this regard, the best method will be either face-to-face interviews or online (phone call) interviews. The questions can be both open ended and closed ended questions that can give the respondent opportunity to elaborate on their response. Project schedule The project begins from 4th November 2014, where the research proposal is prepared for the next one week. Using the data collected, data analysis begins on 18th November to 24th of the same month. The researcher then engages in project compilation and gets presented between 2nd and 8th December. Problem Statement Domestic violence is defined as a situation whereby one party in a relationship controls the other and may even assault them sexually, mentally or physically (Summers, 2002). The family to which a child belongs to plays a major role towards determining the well-being of that child physically and mentally. Domestic violence affects children emotionally and psychologically. The effects of the child’s experience at home are reflected on other activities such as the child’s relationships with other children and the child’s education (Summers, 2002). Cases of domestic violence have significantly increased, and it has turned into a matter of concern especially due to the effects directed to the innocent children (Summers, 2002). In a family where domestic violence occurs often, the likelihood of there being peace and happiness is very low (Summers, 2002). A child in such a home is, therefore, brought up in an environment that is unfavorable. Research has shown that the effects of mental torture on a child are more adverse that those of physical torture (Summers, 2002). This research will study the mental health of children who live in a healthy family household, and compare it with the mental health of a children who are living in a domestic violence household. It is crucial to address the problem of domestic violence since children are affected and yet they have nothing to do with it. Domestic violence is solvable through simple actions such as advising married partners and publicizing its effects and consequences. Domestic violence may lead to the child having an aggressive nature and eventually developing antisocial behavior (Summers, 2002). It makes the child have a low self-esteem, and he/she may also suffer from depression (Summers, 2002). Children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to show low verbal, cognitive and motor skills, they lack confidence, and the ability to solve problems (Summers, 2002). The long-term effects are that the children may end up being violent in their marriages or may opt not to get married to avoid going through domestic violence. It may also lead to premature death of the children since they do not have peace of mind and do not receive the love they deserve (Summers, 2002). Literature Review It is difficult to count and measure the extent of domestic violence and hence it becomes difficult to be definite about the number of children who are affected or who suffer the effects of domestic violence. However, it is estimated that 85-90% of all incidences of domestic violence occur when the children are present (Department of Community Services, 2002). In approximately 50% of all the incidences of domestic violence, the children are directly abused in the course of the violence (Department of Community Services, 2002). In the United States, approximately 3-4 million children aged between three to seventeen years are exposed to domestic violence every year (Department of Community Services, 2002). Statistics have shown that in most cases of domestic violence, women are the victims of their male partners (Department of Community Services, 2002). Domestic violence can take various forms such as hearing, observing or being aware (Cooper & Vetere, 2005). The child may not have seen their parents being in violence but may have heard them fight. The children may also witness the violence happening. In other occasions although rare, the children may have never seen their parents fight or even may have never heard them but they may be aware that such things happen in their family (Cooper & Vetere, 2005). According to the western culture, a child deserves to be raised in a home where he/she is protected and loved. Domestic violence destroys the nurturing environment, and it negatively affects all the normal tasks of growing up (Cooper & Vetere, 2005). A child exposed to domestic violence gains certain characteristics that limit them from getting along well with other children and even not performing well in school (Cooper & Vetere, 2005). A recent research study conducted in the United States showed that more than half of the children that witnessed domestic violence were physically injured and assaulted (Department of Community Services, 2002). Although the violence was not directed to them, the children were accidentally injured. Some of the children got injured as they attempted to stop the violence or protect one of the parties in the family. Most of the cases that are recorded by the child protection authorities concern domestic violence. Extreme levels of domestic violence have taken away the lives of children although such cases are rare (Holt, Buckley, & Whelan, 2008). According to research by Holt and colleagues who investigated the relationship of death of children and domestic violence, 30% of the children’s deaths had a relationship to domestic violence or the child’s social experience (Holt, Buckley, & Whelan, 2008). Children who are exposed to domestic violence are often separated from the community, friends and families (Roberts, 2002). After incidences of domestic violence, most families breakup, and one of the spouses has to relocate (Roberts, 2002). Relocation of the spouses leads to the child in such a family losing contact to their friends since they change from one school to another. Such children spend a lot of time making new friends and before they are settled, they relocate again. The child suffers emotionally when they are separated from their neighbors, friends and schoolmates. A comparison between children who have witnessed domestic violence to those who have never witnessed it revealed that those exposed to domestic violence had frequent emotional problems (Roberts, 2002). Children exposed to domestic problems had behavioral problems and emotional imbalance. Domestic violence leads to behavioral, physical and psychological problems to children and their parents and hence the growing environment of the child is destroyed (Roberts, 2002). According to MacGee (2000), domestic violence consists of sexual, physical and psychological abuse and they all have negative effects to a child (MacGee, 2000). Physical violence among the parents has a high probability of affecting a child and it causes a lot of suffering to the child. The effects of physical domestic violence on a child start even before they are born. When a mother is exposed to domestic violence, she may end up experiencing a miscarriage or giving birth to a baby before the full gestation period. If either of the two does not occur, the fetus develops poorly. Some children are born underweight or with mental problems and such conditions affect their entire life. The brain of a child whose mother is exposed to domestic violence while pregnant may develop slowly, and it may lead to hyperactive children syndrome (MacGee, 2000). At a very tender age, mothers often always hold the infant most of the time. On the occurrence of violence between the spouses, the woman may use the child as a shield and hence threaten the life of the baby (Cleaver, 2007). In such an occasion, the baby may suffer physically from a fight he/she does not comprehend. Babies are very sensitive to their surrounding and can tell when their caregivers are not at peace. When in a family with frequent violence, the baby tends to develop depression and anxiousness and hence may not grow normally. The brain development of a child is very sensitive especially in the baby’ first year since it grows from 25% to 66% in weight (Cleaver, 2007). When exposed to stressing conditions at this particular time the brain of the baby may not be in a position to handle stress later in life. During the young age of between 1-3 years, the baby is supposed to develop an attachment to their parents. According to Kitzmann, research has shown that families experiencing domestic violence bring children lacking enough love and therefore does not develop the required amount of attachment and affection to the parents (Kitzmann et al, 2003). This translates to the child having emotional problems and such a child may often be depressed. Exposure to domestic violence reduces the openness of the baby to either of their parents (Kitzmann et al, 2003). Such children may always seek help from other people since they lacked love and comfort from their parents. Most cases of domestic violence occur during the night. Children being very sensitive to violence tend not to sleep when such an incidence occurs. Such children will, therefore, not have enough sleep and more often, they show symptoms of fatigue and tiredness during the day. Children from such families are also poor in hygiene. The parents have given attention to them, and hence the children may always be dirty. Such children feel unloved and are prone to even being attacked by other diseases (Kitzmann et al, 2003). Domestic violence has an impact on the education of the child (Wolfe et al, 2003). A child who experiences domestic violence has little time to study at home due to lack of a studying environment. The parents often have no time for their children and do not coach them academically. Apart from the teacher’s guidance, a child requires the parent’s guidance so that they can perform well (Wolfe et al, 2003). Such children fail to complete their assignments and hence end up performing poorly in school. Poor grades can demoralize the child and their hope for being better in future fades away. The child has many things running in his/her mind and hence may have poor concentration and focus in class (Wolfe et al, 2003). Domestic violence may likewise affect the personality and behavior of the child. Most children exposed to such violence have a tendency to show different forms of psychosomatic illnesses and depression (Sternberg et al, 1993). They do not believe in themselves, and they feel rejected by the society. Research has found that many of these children have suicidal tendencies due to depression. The child is not able to face stress and in most cases, they opt to kill themselves in order to dodge the problems they are facing (Sternberg et al, 1993). Some of the children are dragged into drug abuse that continues to destroy their lives. The children may also join gangs as they seek to find a place where they will be appreciated and loved. Such activities destroy the character of the child, and they may end up being marginalized in the society. Children exposed to domestic violence show behavioral characteristics such as regressing, uncontrollability and imitational behaviors (Sternberg et al, 1993). They are normally very aggressive and are less social as compared to the other children (Sternberg et al, 1993). According to Terr, children exposed to domestic violence tend to think that violence is an acceptable behavior in intimate relationships and hence they fail in their childhood relationships (Terr, 2001). Such children therefore relate poorly with others and can become outcasts since they are rejected by other children due to their behaviors. They develop trust issues and may act tough to the people they relate with. Their characteristics such as bedwetting reduce their confidence in relationships and puts them at risk for living their future lives single (Terr, 2001). These children often lie to avoid confrontations and confessions since they try to avoid violence in all ways. They therefore become discreet and secretive about their issues and may opt to suffer alone without sharing their problems with other people. At the adolescent stage, the children are filled with denial and aggression. They do not take responsibility and more often, they blame others or run away from the problem (Sternberg et al, 1993). Their cognitive ability is low and simple situations overcome their reasoning. At the adolescent stage of life, the child requires a lot of guidance from the parents on different issues in life. However, in families with domestic violence, the children do not have the closeness with their parents and hence they do not get a chance to be guided at the adolescent age. The child is normally unsure about many things, which they parents, are supposed to guide the child on. Failure of such guidance may lead to a child involving themselves in activities that affect their lives permanently (MacGee, 2000). Girls end up having early pregnancies, which may distract their education. Boys may be involved in drug abuse or gang violence, which affects their lives negatively. A lot of research has been performed on outcomes of domestic violence on children although the topic is not well covered. Most writers have just addressed the problem but have not given any solutions. The writers of the research reviewed did not have contradicting ideas. However, there needs to be a complete research on the whole issue since most of the researchers tackled the topic in small bits. Therefore, there exists a gap in the research topic that the research seeks to answer. In order to do my research effectively, I will seek to answer these research questions.  Aim of the Study The fundamental aim of the study is to identify the effect of having internal violence, especially between the married couple on the upbringing of the children. Research Questions To facilitate the process, four research questions were asked namely: i) How does domestic violence affect an unborn child? ii) How does domestic violence affect the education of children? iii) How does domestic violence influence the personality of a child? iv) How does the mental health of children in homes with violence compare to those in peaceful homes and how that affect their future relationship with their partners. Research Methods The research in this case will use descriptive research analysis. According to Rajasekar, Philominathan & Chinnathambi (2013), research methods comprise methods and procedures used in the study. Through the research design, the researcher knows the type of data required, the methods that will be used to collect the data, and how such answers from the respondents will answer your research questions (Wyk, 2012).This gives the researcher pathways through which he/she received answers for his problems hence act as a guideline used in analyzing various stages of the project. It, therefore, acts as a program that helped the researcher to collect, analyze and interpret the collected data. Data collection will be through qualitative methods. That is because the research design under a cross-sectional study approach will require direct interview of the respondents. The design is useful not only for the purpose of description but also to determine the existing relationship that exists between various variables of the study. The nature of research necessitates the use of qualitative research techniques. This is because the study focuses on effects of domestic violence on children. According to Denzin and Lincoln (1994), explanatory designs have been documented and advanced as best method for social scientists who aim at collecting data used for description purposes, which is too large to observe directly. This study is a qualitative study hence the need for exploratory research design. Qualitative research allows the researcher to exercise judgment, appraise and interpret the interrelationships that reveal themselves as constitutive of various human activities (Denzin & Lincoln, 1994).  Target Population The research will be carried out in the entire Alabama state. The project target families who have experienced domestic violence in the past. Random sampling is used to select the families. The families are randomly chosen from the list of names from state department for children and their families. The Alabama state is randomly picked from the states in United State of America and is ideal because domestic violence is common in USA. Sampling Data Stratified random sampling design will be used. According to Mugenda & Mugenda (2003), it is the process of selecting respondents who are identified as the representative of the target population. The sample size was used therefore to minimize workload involved in data analysis by narrowing down sample representatives. The sample should be representative and allowed the researcher to make accurate estimates of the thoughts or behavior of the population it represented. A sample of 30% is, therefore, normally taken from the stratum in the target population in order to give adequate information that can represent the entire contribution of all the respondents (Mugenda & Mugenda, 2003). For this reason, randomization was used in picking the state in which to carry out the research. Here, every state had an equal chance of participating in the research. Questions were then being administered through either closed or open-ended question asked in an interview response session. The selection of the respondents will be purely random from the state list hence each had equal probability of being interviewed. Data Collection Given the research methods chosen, online Skype interviews and face to face interviews will be the preferred research instruments to use. The questions are either close-ended or open-ended. The design of the questions is an important factor in ensuring the success of the instruments and the overall research. This is because the research aimed at understanding the effect of bringing up a child in a home setup full of frequent violence between the married couples. Interviews The researcher will carry out oral interviews through face-to-face conversation or Skype. The question should be pre-prepared and well structured to allow the respondents understand the research question quickly and give the appropriate response. However several experts like counselors will be interview to get an experienced response that are based on their experience during the period they have handled victims of domestic violence. The list of people to interview can be determined from the state records or names from counselors who had handle such victim’s record. The interview questions should be subdivided into two subdivisions like for example Section A and Section B. Section A should contain general information from the respondents. The general section asked questions like gender, age group, marital status and Profession. Section B should contain questions relevant to the research topic. Interviews can be recorded to give the researcher more time to sort out the desired material and act as future reference. Data Analysis Methods The data collected will be analyzed at first according to categories to establish that all information given was accurate. Afterwards, the methods that will be used to analyze data in this research involved use of descriptive statistics, tables and graphs. This will be done by use of statistical packages such as spreadsheet and SPSS. For the data collected from the interviews, it will be organized into themes and paragraphs. Interview guide This is a tool structured like a questionnaire and contains pre-written research questions in the desired order. The researcher uses this to guide him/her when addressing the respondents to give out the right answer and in the right order. They help the interviewer stay focused and accurately collect information. Additional Issues or Questions The researcher needs to assure the respondents of the confidentiality of the information they give and create a rapport with the respondent to give the comfort and a perfect condition to stay honest. The respondents chosen from the counselors or state list should be called first and requested for an interview session. Moreover, the researcher needs to obtain permission from the University’s institutional review board. Conclusion In conclusion, research about the effects of domestic violence is required so that the public can be sensitized on its effects. Pre-birth effects of domestic violence have not been fully covered and require further research. Most of the writers focus more on the violence being towards the mothers, which is not always the case. It is crucial to emphasize how domestic violence directed to the fathers can affect the child. The effects of domestic violence on the child’s personality are not fully covered, and it is essential in covering the topic. It is also significant to discuss the effect of domestic violence on children when they develop their own families later in life. Effects of domestic violence on academic performance require further research in order to give a clear relationship on how they relate. References Cleaver, H. (2007). Child protection, domestic violence and parental substance misuse: Family experiences and effective practice. London: JKP/Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Cooper, J., & Vetere, A. (2005). Domestic violence and family safety: A systemic approach to working with violence in families. London: Whurr Pubs. Denzin,N., & Linchon, Y. (1994). Handbook of qualitative research. London: Sage Publications. Department of Community Services (2002, September 24). Domestic violence and its impact on children’s development. Retrieved from http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/docswr/_assets/main/documents/dv_paper.pdf Holt, S., Buckley, H., & Whelan, S. (2008). The impact of exposure to domestic violence on children and young people: A review of the literature. Child Abuse & Neglect, 32(8), 797-810. Kitzmann, K. M., Gaylord, N. K., Holt, A. R., & Kenny, E. D. (2003). Child witnesses to domestic violence: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71(2), 339. MacGee, C. (2000). Childhood experiences of domestic violence. London [u.a.: Kingsley. Mugenda, O & Mugenda,M (2003).Research methods-Qualitative and Quantitative approaches. Acts publishers,Nairobi,Kenya. Rajasekar,S, Philominathan, P & Chinnathambi,V (2013). Research methodology. School of physics, Bharathidasan University.INDIA Roberts, A. R. (2002). Handbook of domestic violence intervention strategies: Policies, programs, and legal remedies. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Sternberg, K. J., Lamb, M. E., Greenbaum, C., Cicchetti, D., Dawud, S., Cortes, R. M., ... & Lorey, F. (1993). Effects of domestic violence on childrens behavior problems and depression. Developmental Psychology, 29(1), 44. Summers, R. W. (2002). Domestic violence: A global view. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. Terr, L. (2001). Childhood trauma: An outline and overview. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 10-20 Wolfe, D. A., Crooks, C. V., Lee, V., McIntyre-Smith, A., & Jaffe, P. G. (2003). The effects of childrens exposure to domestic violence: A meta-analysis and critique. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 6(3), 171-187. Wyk Van Brian (2012). Research design and methods. University of the Western CAPE Read More