Effects of Domestic violence on children - Research Paper Example

? Effects of domestic violence on children The purpose of this paper is to look at the various negative effects of domestic violence on children. Children remain silent witnesses of domestic violence and their helplessness is pronounced by the negligence from parents and other guardians. Along with the short term psychosomatic and behavioral effects there are long term effects which get reflected when they are adults and have children of their own. Limited services from child welfare agencies contribute little to rescue the children from their traumatic experiences. Presence of a sympathetic adult around children who can help the children to cope with their problems is absolutely necessary. Domestic violence happens when one or more members of a family continually experience mental or physical abuse from those members who wish to control and dominate. Domestic violence is a serious problem of the society and can adversely affect all members of a family especially the children. Violence at home is not a characteristic of any region or ethnicity. It is a grave global issue. The primary focus has always generally been on the women and adults who are victims of abuse but attention is now given increasingly on children who witness domestic violence. Statistics reveal that 10 to 20 percent of children remain vulnerable to risks as they belong to families that experience domestic violence. (Domestic Violence and the Child Welfare System, 2009) It has been observed that children of such families are usually abused or neglected which may affect their well-being and emotional stability. Although in most cases children are not the primary victims of domestic violence, continuous witness of violence can have psychological and behavioral effects on their growing years. Domestic violence generally hinders the proper growth of children’s psychology and hence their development in all spheres. The Effects of domestic violence on children Studies have shown that approximately 3.3 million to 10 million children witness domestic violence. Further studies reveal that almost 900,000 children are treated badly by their parents or guardians. Many children who witness violence also experience direct abuse which results in negative social and behavioral patterns (Moylan et.al, 2010, p.53). Children who continuously witness domestic violence get negatively affected and the intensity of the impact depends on the age of the child. Children who witness violence at home or are themselves victims of abuse exhibit various kinds of psychological problems. The reflection of their experience from being a witness to violence can be seen in their internal behavioral patterns like anxiety and depression or external behavioral patterns like fighting or bullying other children at schools or playgrounds. They are prone to disobedience at school and find it difficult to maintain relationships with other children due to lack of competency. Their general performance in schools is poor and they have the tendency to resolve conflicts by using violence (Stiles, 2002). The intellectual development of children depends on their interaction with the society and the people around them. In case of pre-school children, their parents play a vital role in supporting or hindering the development of their children’s education and growth. It has been proven that mothers who have a clear vision of their attachment relationships can take proper care of their children. This can happen only if there is non-violence atmosphere at home. Children who witness domestic violent have lower level of IQ than their peers who are not exposed to violence. (Busch & Lieberman, 2010, p.505) There is also clear evidence from research that children who live by being regular witness of domestic violence also directly experience “physical or sexual abuse”. While all of these are short terms effects on their behaviour and emotions there are long term effects too. The children being helpless witness or victims of violent and abusing behaviour develop behavioral patterns in adulthood that have negative impact on their health and social life. Frequent witness of domestic violence in childhood can lead to alcoholism, drug consumption and poor mental state in adulthood. Traumatic experiences during childhood days resulting from domestic violence at home can also have adverse effect on the biological system of the body leading to reduced capacity for coping with stress. It has been found that some of the major causes of death in adulthood are because of the traumatic experiences in childhood thus indicating the long term negative effects of domestic violence in the lives of individuals (Devaney, 2009, p.570). The physical health of children from violent households is also negatively affected. The most common physical problems of such children are “asthma, eczema, epilepsy, diabetes, digestive problems, coordination problems, sight and hearing problems” (Meltzer, 2009, p.494). Factors determining the effects Effect variation depending on age group The negative effects from witnessing domestic violence vary with age. Infants who need constant attention lack the attachment and as a result of this cry excessively. They can also develop eating and sleeping problems due to untimely feeding. Preschool children can display psychosomatic problems like headache and stomach pain. They can feel insecure at home because of parental neglect at times when they seek protection from their parents. They can also display “regressive behaviour like thumb sucking” and can suffer from insomnia. Preschool children who witness violence at home can also display anxiety around strangers. Children who go to school display poor performance and show less involvement in outdoor activities like sports. They can also have psychosomatic problems and develop a lack of self-confidence. They have the tendency to blame themselves, which in turn damage their self-esteem, for problems between their parents (Stiles, 2002). Additional assessment factors Children who witness their parents or guardians using severe violence to solve their conflicts can endure more distress than those children who witness peaceful relationship between their parents or guardians. Children who have less abilities to adjust develop more problems from domestic violence than those children who can have coping powers and have larger social circle. The negative effects that develop due to experiencing domestic violence can become less apparent as time elapses after the violent events. It has also been observed that generally boys tend to develop aggressive personality while girls display more depression (Domestic Violence and the Child Welfare System, 2009). Relationship between childhood trauma and domestic violence A person can lead a satisfactory life if he or she has high level of self-esteem. An individual’s development of self-esteem can be adversely affected if one has been exposed to or has witnessed domestic violence during his childhood days. Individuals with lower level of self-esteem can display mistrust on people, difficulty in having an active social life and signs of depressive behaviour. It has been seen that 30 percent of children who have been abused or witnessed domestic violence grow up to be abusive parents and use violence against their own children thus creating a vicious circle of violence. Those people who witnessed or experienced violence in their childhood grow up with the belief that violence is normal kind of punishment for children (Sahin et.al, 2010, pp. 662, 666). People develop their states of mind regarding attachment towards their children based on their childhood experience of violence and negligence from their parents and other guardians. Once the mental state is formed it remains stable. When they are adults and become parents these mental representations are reflected in their attitude and behaviour towards their own children especially during stressful moments. Mothers who experienced peaceful experience at home during their childhood days and did not experience parental negligence exhibit caring and sensitive attachment towards their children, and their children in turn feel safe and secured in their attachment with their mothers. These children have higher level of self-confidence and learning abilities than children who feel insecure due to domestic violence at home. The secure children also enjoy an effective and positive learning environment because of their strong attachment with their parents thus developing strong IQ (Busch & Lieberman, 2010, p.506). Lack of response from child protection agencies Those who are responsible for generating violence at home are not considered as criminals in the eyes of law. Most of the perpetrators are not convicted or arrested. They are not even obliged to attend “domestic violence treatment program”. Therefore the children living in violent households can seek help and guidance solely from the child protection agencies. There is however a lack of understanding between the child protection professionals and the children exposed to domestic violence. There is limited service provided by the agencies because the professionals feel that it is the responsible of the women to protect their children from traumatic experiences by themselves leaving their partners or compelling their partners to leave. Social workers for well-being of children do not consider men as source of the problem rather they believe that the women should be held accountable for their children’s anguish. This kind of attitude generates a feeling of mistrust between the social workers and their clients and over time the relationship can become volatile. Women then develop the tendency to hide their situation and this can be interpreted by the social workers as unwillingness of mothers to protect their children. There are other factors that contribute towards lack of response from child welfare agencies. The staffs are not properly trained for the required purpose and it becomes difficult to accuse men about their behaviour at home. Some research shows that child welfare agencies do not consider matters pertaining to domestic violence as top priority. They fail to understand the seriousness of the issue and as a result such cases often persist for many years. However, it is necessary to be cautious while using child protection laws as means to solve the problem of domestic violence. The child-rearing role of mothers should not be underestimated while providing protection to the children. The broader perspective of the agencies is that women and children are oppressed by the men. While it can be seen that children can have safer life if their male guardians do not live with them, it is easier for men to find new relationships thereby putting other women and children in danger. This is because the men generally do not change their behaviour since they are rarely accused by the child welfare agencies. However keeping in view the oppressive nature of men they are “challenged to accept responsibility for their behaviour and the consequences for their families” (Devaney, 2009, pp.571-572). Need of a competent and caring adult Research has shown that not all children who witness domestic violence suffer from negative effects. Presence of a “competent and caring adult” in the life of a child can result in a “strong and positive relationship” between the child and the adult. Children who regularly witness violence must be able to share their feelings openly with an adult who must be sympathetic to the children. The person must also have the capacity to intervene to improve the domestic situation of the children. Majority of children depend on their parents for protection and support during difficult times but constant violent environment at home can hinder the parents’ abilities to look after the children because such parents can themselves suffer from depression and uncommunicative (Carter et. al, 1999, p.6). Preventive measures Medical schools should properly train and educate primary care physicians about the issue of domestic violence and its adverse effects on children’s physical and emotional development. In recent times, physicians are made aware of domestic violence but the focus is on the primary victim. Efforts should be made to broaden the perspective of medical education and attention should be given to children who are silent and helpless witnesses of domestic violence (Stiles, 2002). Conclusion Although it is believed that children belonging to violent families exhibit more psychological and physical problems than children from non-violent families, it is however seen that other factors like “gender, socioeconomic status, cultural background, abrupt school and home changes and parental separation” (Stiles, 2002) can have somewhat similar effect on the emotional development or lack of development of children. It is also necessary that the children feel assured that they have adults around them to love and protect them. So the parents, teachers and relatives should have the ability to recognise the needs of growing children. While designing laws to protect the children it is necessary to measure the pros and cons of such laws. References Busch, A.L. & A.F. Lieberman (November, 2010), Mothers' Adult Attachment Interview ratings predict preschool children's IQ following domestic violence exposure. Attachment & Human Development, 12(6), 505-527, retrieved on May 30, 2012 from: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=e9246a54-6ff8-438c-a905-a83c9099a61d%40sessionmgr115&vid=3&hid=108 Carter, L.S. Weithorn, L.A. and R.E. Behrman (1999), Domestic violence and children: Analysis and recommendations. The future of children, 9(3), 4-20, retrieved on May 31, 2012 from: http://www.princeton.edu/futureofchildren/publications/docs/09_03_Analysis.pdf Devaney, J. (December, 2009). Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence: Holding Men to Account, Political quarterly, 80(4), pp.569-574, retrieved on May 30, 2012 from: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=2c18b2e7-eed8-41fd-ac1b-569824f26ba5%40sessionmgr112&vid=3&hid=108 Domestic Violence and the Child Welfare System, (2009) childwelfare, retrieved on May 30, 2012 from: http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/domesticviolence.cfm Meltzer, H. Doos, L. Vostanis, P. Tamsin, F. and R. Goodman (November, 2009). The mental health of children who witness domestic violence, Child & Family Social Work 14(4), 491-501, retrieved on May 31, 2012 from: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3f86362e-87b0-44d6-a819-1a6db2d78060%40sessionmgr110&vid=3&hid=108 Moylan, C. et al. (January, 2010). The Effects of Child Abuse and Exposure to Domestic Violence on Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior Problems, Journal of Family Violence 25(1), 53-63, retrieved on May 30, 2012 from: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=839136f5-9939-48e7-9163-49e32011036c%40sessionmgr12&vid=3&hid=105 Sahin, N. et al. (October, 2010). Childhood Trauma, Type of Marriage and Self-Esteem as Correlates of Domestic Violence in Married Women in Turkey. Journal of Family Violence 25(7), 661-668, retrieved on May 30, 2012 from: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=8363bc97-9b30-4034-b06f-dfa937665cf9%40sessionmgr13&vid=3&hid=11 Stiles, M.M. (December 1, 2002) Witnessing Domestic Violence: The Effect on Children, AAFP, retrieved on May 30, 2012 from: http://www.aafp.org/afp/2002/1201/p2052.html Read More