The Effects That Children Experience From Witnessing Domestic Violence - Term Paper Example

The Effects that Children Experience from Witnessing Domestic Violence in the Household s (Date) Introduction In the recent times, cases of domestic violence have been on the rise. In the past two decades, there has been an increasing recognition of the prevalence of violence in the households in our society. In general, domestic violence has deleterious effects on families and individuals. On a global scale, the female partner is often the victim of domestic violence. 40 percent of women are in abusive relationships. It is approximated that between 55 percent and 70 percent of men assault their wives. Domestic violence is a behavior pattern that involves either abuse or violence by one individual in a domestic context against another, especially in a marriage or cohabitation. In the same way, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines domestic violence as any behavior that leads to either emotional or physical harm to those in the relationship. It is also known as spousal abuse, family violence, domestic abuse, or intimate partner violence. Domestic abuse can occur in both in same-sex as well as heterosexual relationships. It usually takes various forms, such as sexual, psychological, physical, and verbal abuse. Even though domestic abuse against women is most commonly reported, it has been found out that family violence against men are rarely reported due to social stigma of the perceived lack of machismo. In cases where the abuser in the intimate partner violence believes the abuse is justified, it often results in intergenerational violence cycles. About 30 percent of the children have witnessed or live in households where domestic violence is perpetuated. In the U.S, an estimated 3.4million children witness domestic abuse every year. Domestic violence often extends across the socio-economic boundaries and frequently involves children as innocent victims. To that effect, the paper will discuss the experiences of children who witness domestic violence in their households. Discussion Psychology scholars have come to a conclusion that domestic violence has a significant impact on the children. In the household, children are bound to witness domestic violence. Exposure or witness means to see or hear the actual abuse or deal with the aftermath of the violence (Horner, 2005). It is crucial to note that domestic abuse and child abuse are usually present in the same household, when describing the impacts of domestic abuse on children. The WHO argues that domestic violence can also include child abuse. As cited by Middlebrooks and Audage (2008), this entails all forms of emotional and physical ill-treatment, neglect, and sexual abuse, as well as exploitation that lead to harm to the child’s health. Studies have evidenced that children who have witnessed domestic violence have viewed it in numerous forms. The forms of spousal violence: physical assault by means of biting, hitting, shoving, battery, slapping, throwing objects, and restraining; threats; stalking; controlling; economic deprivation; neglect; harassment; and criminal coercion (Siemieniuk, Krentz, Gish, & Gill, 2010). Emotional or psychological effects The effects of witnessing domestic violence at home vary considerably from one child to another. In 2008, a study by Bonem, Stanely- Kime, and Corbin found out that children who have been exposed to family violence in the house suffer from psychological developmental damage. Children who have witnessed family violence together with other forms of abuse have a higher a risk of developing mental and physical health problems (Roberts, 2007). Children from homes characterized by inter-parental violence may not be able to regulate their emotions than other areas of the functioning (Ellens, 2010). Some of the emotional problems that can emerge as a result of domestic violence are anxiety and depression. Besides, the children commonly experience long-term panic and anxiety. The children are also more probable to meet the diagnostic criteria for panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (McCue, 2008). Emotional insecurity along with mental disorder can eventually follow as a result of traumatic experiences. In this regard, the children who are exposed to spousal violence are more likely to demonstrate post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD). Correspondingly, traumatic stress is produced as a result of exposure to extreme threatening as it occurs in family violence. Post-traumatic stress disorder is described as an anxiety that is triggered by trauma (Breslau, 2002). The people who suffer from the PTSD wrestle with extreme depression. In this perspective, the children often exhibit symptoms of depression. The effects are more severe if the person being assaulted is the mother and also develops PTSD and does not seek treatment thus having difficulties in assisting her child in processing the child’s experience of witnessing the domestic violence. The PSTD is usually associated with intrusive images, flashbacks, nightmares, exaggerated startle response, and avoidance trigger that are linked with the abuse. The PTSD entails certain patterns of hyper-arousal as well as avoidance. The children who suffer from the PTSD have considerable academic problems and interpersonal challenges in severe cases. The emotional responses to PTSD include terror, guilt, anxiety, irritability, depression, and hostility (Volpe, 1996). The other psychological impacts of children’s exposure to domestic abuse are extreme loneliness, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts. Also, Ellens (2010) notes that children who witness inter-parental violence first-hand commonly cite fear as the one of the major experiences of domestic violence. In terms of the ‘general fear,’ the children reported that they were afraid of what the violent man might do. In other words, it is the fear of the unknown. The other aspect of fear reported by domestic abuse exposed children is the fear of being hurt by the man. Proceeding further, children who are exposed to battering often feel powerless and worthless, low level of empathy, general emotional distress, and emotional numbing. They usually blame themselves for the violence. In some instances, they become angry at their mother for instigating the abuse and may be filled with rage, shame, sadness, and humiliation (Edleson et al., 2007). Spousal violence can also make the child feel devalued and hopeless. The abuse exposed children can also develop the feeling of self-blame. The self-blame then precipitates into feelings of anxiety, guilt, and worry (Volpe, 2014). The child may become worried of what to expect when the fathers are about to come home. McGee (2011) shares the evidence that listening to the emotional abuse of their mother is usually very distressing for the children. Social effects As a result of the experiences witnessed at the violence in the home, the children are also affected socially. Certain studies posit that the child’s social development is damaged since they are socially isolated, unable to make friends as easily due to social discomfort or confusion over what is acceptable. The child becomes different in the manner in which they associate or socialize with others. Most of these children are withdrawn and rarely interact with their peers. There are often in isolation. The isolation can be very detrimental to the social development of the child. Due to the chaotic atmosphere, typical children activities such as playing in the house and bringing friends over to the home are impossible (Horner, 2005). The children may also lose the ability to feel empathy for others (Edleson et al., 2007). The children from the abusive households have higher chances of engaging in juvenile delinquency as compared to those from non-violent homes. Witnessing family violence is the best predictor of juvenile delinquency. Besides, it is also the major reason children run-away. According to the National Summary of Injury Mortality Data, the homicide rate amongst young people has doubled since the 1950 (Osofsky, 1999). However, exposure to violence occurs less frequently for children who live in affluent households and more frequent in the lower socioeconomic neighborhoods. According to Volpe (1996), more than half of the school-age children who reside in domestic violence households exhibit clinical levels of PTSD. If left untreated, the children are at a significant risk for dropping out of school, delinquency, and abusing drugs and substances. Children who have witnessed domestic violence in their household do not have the safety and security foundation that is usually offered by the family. Consequently, they develop aggressive behavior. Another social problem of being exposed to domestic violence is truancy (Edleson et al., 2007). According to Roberts (2007), truancy is the intentional absence from school without any good reason. Truancy affects the educational development of the child. Behavioral effects The children also affected behaviorally. The behavioral impact experienced by children after being exposed to domestic violence in their household is often long-term. These children are mostly shy, disruptive, irritable, and have problems getting along with others (Horner, 2005). Some of the children develop aggressive behavior after being exposed to domestic violence. A study by Corso et al. (2007), reported that there is a correlation between the experience of domestic abuse in childhood and the perpetuation of domestic violence and sexual abuse in adulthood. The researchers found out that the children who are exposed to family violence are more likely to develop abusive behaviors in the adulthood. This is because the experts found out that children raised in abusive households learn that violence is a successful method of resolving disputes or problems. As a result, they may replicate the violence they witnessed while they were children in the adult relationships. Males raised in abusive households are more probable to assault their female partners than boys raised in non-violent homes as adults. As for the girls, they may view violence and threats as a norm on their relationship. Since the children have witnessed domestic violence in the households, they lack a healthy model unto which they can base their relationships. As a result, they can perpetuate violence in their relationship. One study in North America reported that children who witness violence in the home were 15 times more likely to be physically assaulted than the national average. Volpe (1996) argues that it is common to observe violent behavior in children exposed to domestic abuse. The children frequently fight at school, threaten peers with violence, treat pets abusively, oppositional and defiant behavior in the school setting, lashing out at objects, and temper tantrums. The next behavioral impact of children’s exposure to domestic abuse is the risk of drug and alcohol abuse. These children are more likely to start using drugs of abuse and alcohol as compared to children who come from peaceful homes devoid of any violence (Volpe, 1996). The children exposed to domestic violence can also exhibit major personality changes, such as from being an outgoing child to becoming withdrawn. When children are withdrawn, it becomes very difficult for them to talk. More to the point, the children’s exposure to family violence in the household not only makes them to be socially withdrawn, but also have reduced intimacy and trust in others. They are also more likely to drop out of school than children who come from the non-violent households (Horner, 2005). The other behavioral response of children who witness battering is that they act out or are anxious to please. They may also portray signs of violence often displaying increased aggression with their mothers or peers. As cited by Osofsky (1999), exposure to trauma, particularly domestic violence interferes with the normal development of trust and exploration in the child. As a consequence, it leads to the development of autonomy. Children who witness domestic violence in their households have a tendency to be either extremely extroverted or extremely introverted. This can make them to have violent outbursts or be isolated and withdrawn. The toddlers and infants that are witnesses of spousal violence exhibit regression in language and toileting, sleep disturbances, and excessive irritability. Lastly, studies have evidenced that exposure to intimate partners violence interfered with the normal development of a child’s trust and later exploratory behaviors leading to the development of autonomy (Edleson etal., 2007; Horner, 2005). Cognitive effects Domestic violence also has cognitive effects on the child. According to a view shared by Dodd (2009), if a child is exposed to domestic abuse they start experiencing problems with cognition in schools. As a consequence, they begin developing a lack of skills in areas like problem-solving. They often start having problems solving complex issue that require extensive reasoning. Some of the children also lose their ability to concentrate. Another cognitive response of children who are exposed to family violence in their households is reduced attention span that may lead to poor school attendance along with developmental delays in speech and motor skills. They have difficulty in concentrating and paying attention due to the fact that they are often distracted by intrusive thoughts (Osofsky, 1999). As a consequence, most of them are usually diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Since children who witness domestic abuse have been found to have traumatic stress, the cognitive responses to the stress include confusion, considerable impairment in concentration, intrusive thoughts about the trauma, fear of occurrence of the trauma, fears of losing control, reduced self-efficacy, and self-blame (Edleson et al., 2007). The other cognitive effect that children experience from witnessing domestic violence in the household is that the preschool going children may develop speech disfluencies like stuttering and enuresis when they are exposed to domestic violence in their households (McGee, 2011). As a result, they experience difficulties in learning. It has been evidenced that infants together with small children who are exposed or witness violence in the home experience added emotional stress that it can affect their brain development and impair cognitive and sensory growth (Edleson et al., 2007). This is because at a tender age, the brain of the child is being prepared for later cognitive functioning and exposure to the violence in the home threatens this development (Gunnar & Barr, 1998). Biological effects On a biological perspective, children who live in households that are prone to domestic violence exhibit slow developmental growth (Wallace, 2004). The slow growth is often attributable to extreme depression. In the same way, they also exhibit poor health. A study conducted by the Adverse Childhood Experiences showed correlation between exposure to neglect and high risk health behaviors as well as shortened life span among children. In this regard, the abuse exposure not only limits the lifespan of the child, but also retards the developmental growth (Horner, 2005). When a child is exposed to the traumatic events of domestic violence, the biologically-based responses comprise of insomnia (sleep disturbance), psychosomatic symptoms (feelings of pain and aches for no apparent reason), nightmares, and exaggerated startle response (Volpe, 1996). The other biological effect that children experience from witnessing domestic violence in the household is eating disorders. The children may develop an unhealthy lifestyle either due to overeating or under-eating (McGee, 2011). Lastly, the children may also develop constant colds, asthma, and eczema (Horner, 2005). Physical effects Exposure to domestic violence by children has physical effects on them. The children complain of headaches and stomachaches. They are also faced with problems of bedwetting. This is attributable to irregular bowel habits brought about by the violence stress and trauma. Equally important, children who witness family violence in the houses often show symptoms of fatigue and constant tiredness (Horner, 2005). Another physical effect of witnessing domestic violence by the children is that they have a tendency to engage in high risk play activities and suicide. It has been evidenced that spousal violence is more prevalent in households with younger children in contrast to those with older children. To that effect, the infant children who may be present when domestic violence occurs are frequently caught in the conflict. As a result, they are often inconsolable and have excessive diarrhea due to stress and trauma (Edleson et al., 2007). The management of the effects of children exposed to domestic violence can occur through counseling, medical treatment, and other forms of intervention and prevention. Conclusion In summary, domestic violence is any conduct that leads to either emotional or physical harm to the partners, especially those in marriage or cohabitation. As the incidences of intimate partners violence grows in the society, so does the need for the investigation of the emotional, behavioral, physical, cognitive, social, and biological consequences produced by exposure to domestic abuse, particularly in children. In this regard, children who have witnessed domestic violence in their households are affected psychologically, behavioral, biologically, cognitively, physically, and socially. Psychologically the child may exhibit signs of depression, anger, fear, hopelessness, lack of self-worth, low self-esteem, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and mental disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and general anxiety disorder. The behavioral effects are violent outbursts, aggressive behavior, angry, disruptive, poor self-image, withdrawn, irritable, and have problems getting along with others, and risk of abusing substances. The biological effects of children being exposed to domestic violence include poor health, sleep disturbance, psychosomatic symptoms, develop eating disorder, exaggerated startle response constant, have colds and asthma. The physical effects of children witnessing domestic violence include, stomach and headaches, engage in high risk play activities and suicide, fatigue, and constant tiredness. When a child is exposed to family violence, the cognitive responses are lack of skills in problem solving, lack of concentration, poor language development, speech disfluencies, and confusion, as well as difficulties in learning. The social impacts of children witnessing domestic violence in the household include substance abuse, delinquent behavior, unsocial behavior, isolation, and lack of empathy for others. Domestic violence needs to be discouraged because it results in more than good for both the perpetrators and victims. The intimate-partners’ violence cuts across all segments in society and has deleterious effects on the children’s well-being. Children who witness domestic violence are affected negatively by the violence. To that effect, proper management measures need to be taken so as to alleviate the effects on the child. References Breslau, N. 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