Impact of Witnessing Domestic Violence on Adolescent Academic Performance - Term Paper Example

Abstract In this paper, family and partner violence, the relationships between cumulative violence exposure and multiple school outcomes as well as academic low performance has been analyzed. Role of school has also been discussed; how it effects child development and what actions and strategies they can opt to bring a change in behavioral problems of adolescent. Many school and other independent programs have also been initialized for minimization of such issues. On the behalf of the research conducted by different authors, it has been proved that domestic violence cause behavioral, psychological, biological and emotional disorders affecting the child in the long run. Also the findings showed Adolescents, who see parent’s violence on each other, do not show one specific behavior or way of reacting towards anything in their life, they react unusual in certain conditions, and their behavior contains aggression, cruelty towards children and animals, bad temper, irresponsiveness or acting childishly, criminal behavior and attention shortage disorder and they get involved in criminal activities and take more interest in fights and abuses instead of studies being involved in fist fights boxing, hurting someone bad due to anger and keeping harmful material like knife. And those who do not show such aggression get involved in drugs to as an escape. But these findings do not imply that every child who witnesses partner violence, even frequent and severe violence, will have problems. They have accepted the fact that there are few people who have coped with the situation and were able to behave normal for rest of life. But researchers are uncertain whether the problems of these children are attributable to exposure to partner violence alone or to the collective effect of exposure and other difficulties common in violent homes. Impact of witnessing domestic violence on adolescent academic performance Presently, many of the adolescents in the world belonging to different societies are psychologically, physically, biologically traumatized by DV and indeed DV has become one of the most emerging and troubling issue faced by children and adolescents directly or indirectly. The most commonly emerging partner violence and its direct connection of having negative impacts on adolescents is one of the major issues faced by numerous societies throughout the world. Many adolescents are traumatized emotionally, physically and mentally by domestic violence. Domestic violence has been usually defined as violence or pressure of husband on wife all over the world among cultural, socioeconomic, demographic, geographic, tribal and racial groups in the form of diminishing one’s self esteem, using children economic abuse, physical and mental torture. Adolescents witnessing DV could see problems in resolving social and emotional issues or could see behavioural disorders e.g. extreme happy, sad, violent, kind (Shavers et al., 2005). Different genre of domestic violence have been seen and the greater part of DV noticed in daily routine in the society are shouting, pushing, beating, throwing things that causes minor physical injuries. Thus it includes from minor level of emotional or physical abuse to moderate one. Researchers have found that ill treatment commonly called battering and terrorism or harassment is one of the most common types, which usually leads to injuries and also high and frequent cause of emotional abuse. Adolescents who witness their parents or any other in family physically abusing one another are considered to be at higher risk of having emotional, behavioral disorders as compared to those who do not see such violence frequently. It worsens in case of family and other relationships and cause low school performance and lack of interest in academic activities (English, Marshall & Stewart, 2003). Many researchers have said that children who witness inter-parental abuse face problems in social adjustment, forming peer group, making friends and in performing group work assigned in school (Gaylord, Holt, Kenny & Kitzmann, 2003). Adolescents, who see parent’s violence on each other, do not have one specific behavior or way of reacting towards anything, they react unusual in certain conditions, and their behavior contains aggression, cruel behavior towards children and animals, bad temper, irresponsiveness or acting childishly, criminal behavior and attention shortage disorder/hyperactivity and they get involved in criminal activities and take more interest in fights and abuses instead of studies (Becker & McCloskey, 2002). DV impacts on adolescents are at the stage where they are being understood by parents and society. People fear that adolescents witnessing domestic violence will act violently later in their own lives. It does not result in only violent behaviour but five primary areas of child can be badly affected by witnessing violence; physical, biological, behavioral, emotional, social acceptance, and learning issues. Biological and Physical effects: Wild life researchers studies have shown that continuous exposure to violence and disturbance caused by violence can directly effect on neurochemistry and cause some hormones which results in animal or wild behavior , also increase anxiety, hyper-arousal and hyper vigilance. Health problems: Variety of health problems have been declared to be directly effected by or created by witnessing violence; such as headache, asthma, eczema, sleeping disorders, eating problems and stomach pain. Cognitive development: Large number of researches proved that adolescents, who are directly witnessing violence, suffer from cognitive development issues and have average or low academic performance as compared to those who have never seen violence or experienced it in daily routine. Social adjustment: Adolescents having such issues like violence in their life feel uncomfortable in developing relationships later in their lives with their peers, caregivers and romantic partners (Christopher, 2006). Emotional abuse and frequently witnessing physical violence impacts negatively child psyche. In many people who quarrel commonly hurt their children during martial fights not only mentally but physically as well (English, Marshall & Stewart, 2003). According to (Frey, Ruchkin, Martin, & Schwab-Stone, 2009) research scale violent behavior usually consists on five reactions leading to comparatively serious violent and aggressive behavior including; quick in starting fights, being involved in fist fights boxing, hurting someone bad due to anger and keeping harmful material like knife, guns etc with them. Adolescents experience adjustability issues in society, lack self esteem, have a low rate of school success, high rate of drugs and alcohol use and have medium or low social and economic status. Statistics indicates an increasing figure of adolescents who are being exposed to DV in their daily life and are getting effected.70% of the taken women in sample suffered from spousal abuse; they accepted the fact that their children had witnessed their violence or assaults (O'Keefe, 1998). Exposure to violence directly or indirectly has been seen as a cause of behavioral problems similar to externalizing and internalizing. Research has also shown that witnessing and exposure violence at age of 1 & 2 is the reason of aggressive behavior in child (Salzinger, Rosario, Feldman & Ng-Mak, 2008). Thus it is considered that violence, not just effects physically, but ruins ones personality, can cause stress which leads to in-efficient parenting, sleep disorders, and anger failed relationship as well as an inability to get in another healthy relationship. It affects ones psyche badly. Mostly, it has been observed that it leads to stress among parents, especially mothers, and affects their parenting. In some of the cases, it may also involve sleep disorders and inability to manage anger. Past abusive experiences and relationships may also count towards inability to be in a healthy relationship in the later stages and of course, affects the relationships. As reported by some of the data collectors, almost around 5-10 million families in just the state of Hawaii experience the different forms of abuse in one way or another. One important thing to note here is that the effect or the impact of violence sometimes varies, depending upon the fact that if the child is directly receiving it or is just a witness (Chemtob & Carlson, 2004). By determining the increasing dose-response effect of violence and exposure to violence including parent to children and husband wife physical violence or community, researchers came to know that all three mentioned domains have considerably taken part in failure of academic performance of children. Focusing on each individual and the behavioral dynamics shows that 50% of the children were at risk of having anxiety, depression and rude behavior symptoms in their psyche. And 10-15% of the adolescents have high level of biological problems (hormonal, stomach) study failures and criminal/unlawful activities. Important studies have proved that cumulative violence has increased chances of co-morbid indications or symptoms; 76% of adolescents have high violence rate and has lead to the opening of unfavorable circumstances, contrast 36-7% with low or medium violence rate (Margolin, Vickerman, Oliver & Gordis, 2010). It has also been seen in the studies that violence either psychological or physical in men and women more serious consequences and bad effects in women than men. And effects on children leading them to behave aggressively, low self esteem feeling and later their attitude in college and high school became abnormal towards socializing and participating in different academic activities. Results of researches pointed that all the life time experiences of violence and inter-relationship analysis have shown that as the violence exposure increase, the academic activities and school results tend to get worse. DV tend to directly influence academic performance and decreases the positive attitude toward studies and school. Children having increased violence witness rate cannot pay attention to studies, environment. Cannot focus and are unable to understand what is happening around them. DV caused them to be absent minded, less participated in class and other academic activities (Kennedy & Bennet, 2006). Many researches have shown children witnessing violence are least interested in high school and were being dropped out form graduate school. They have more interest towards social violence and are involved in drugs and criminal activities. Lack of interest in studies and low academic performance was considered as the after effect of witnessing violence. The possibility that aggression of such serious phenomenon has increased and can cause serious errors in society and on youth psyche (Johnson & Ferraro, 2000). Academic difficulties involving non social peer and insecure environment can be positively linked to children affected by violence. Also school factors can positively restrain the connection between spousal DV and adult’s getting exposed to violence on dates. Particularly educational difficulties and non-social behavior with less involvement in other activities and insecure school system can make worse this connection, on the other hand getting involve in school activities can decrease the risk (Schnurr & Lohman, 2008). Some of the researchers considered this domestic violence occurs, where nations are weak; economically and socially, and are unable to get basic necessities of life. Exposure to violence and witnessing it has turned out to be most common activity for African American school going children as well as urban children. This matter requires the focus of professionals and psychologist working for the betterment of society and children, relating all impacts of exposure on children. Minority of Urban children are at great risk of ill-treatment or great violence exposure, such happenings restrict children to stay at their homes. Being a part of domestic violence, directly or indirectly, can lead to (PTSD) and violence can have impact on adolescents in diverse and long lasting ways. On the contrary to the research given by professionals and researchers, early age school participation was brought into being to strengthen the intergenerational spreading of violence in African and Urban women. It shows those having higher level of school involvement were at greater level of risk of attempting fating violence, after experiencing domestic violence as compared to those who have low school involvement. This is because adults participating more and more in school activities during high school may turn out to be more popular than other students and this popularity can attract opposite gender and can become the reason of having more dating opportunities and with increment in dating the opportunity of committing dating violence may automatically increase. In regard to avoidance program this research is an important note because it is apposing the hopes. Professionals and psychiatrist working on it should spotlight the main cause which is unhealthy and non-romantic connection of spouse; they should introduce the importance of romantic relationship into the program to amplify the benefits of school and academic participation (Thompson & Massat, 2005). The anomalous behavior in society is one of the reasons of physical or mental violence. It should be handled sensitively as it has been developed since ages in adolescents and adults who have witnessed domestic violence. Data collectors have concluded different ways to determine and solve problems created by domestic violence. According to all the adolescents exposed to DV should be studied in detail and provided with a review to decide in accordance to the kind of their experience and its after effects. Meeting with adolescents who were exposed to parental violence, and were abused emotionally, physically their experience need to be documented and recognized carefully, to make a proper report of child abuse with high sense of responsibility, to further present in reporting agencies. Best assessments and measures should be taken to train all adolescents involved in violence tragedy circumstances should be having a psychiatrist who can work with them, for each individual there should be a professional, monitoring their activities and behavior so that they can be evaluated. Related institutes and professionals should be hired or given proper training in protocol for providing crisis intervention with child witnesses who think they require safety, privacy, and PTSD psychotherapies. Necessary coordination is required between professionals having experience in same problem or concerned in working in this area. Also, people who cause DV need to focus on developing healthy relationship. Experts working in violent partners should be aware of all the difficulties and all legal moves of taking custody after separation or divorce in such families where violence between partners is frequent (Becker & McCloskey, 2002). To prevent society from domestic violence and its effects on adolescents resulting in their weak academic performance an effort was made and domestic violence program was established in 2001 in conjunction with Kirklees Domestic Violence Forum. Domestic violence team has well developed services for women getting harmed by their male partners. The program wasn’t a big success as there were no services for women who were violent to their male partners and for lesbian and gay people experiencing violence (Milner & Singleton, 2008). While discussing the importance of school some researchers have emphasized on how important it is to understand the significance of circumstances and scenarios in optimizing adolescents’ who are willing and struggling hard for autonomy. As the adolescent and children getting mature they should be provided proper support with developmental needs. School is the basic platform after parenting that can support youth to develop, if the person is affected by home violence the school should provide and understand their social-economical needs, as social-economical difficulties in youth often need help and if not provided can cause a behavioral change in them. It can also be in the form giving them such environment where they can promote their skills and abilities, which can simultaneously result in their academic achievement. These skills can later work for them as foundation for success and help them in higher education and employment opportunities. School can also help them in developing social relationships by enhancing their skills of socializing with in peer group. Communication and contact between peers facilitates adolescents with and opportunity to understand and asses their own behavior, create an understanding of self behavior and others behavior, Also it gives a space to them to find and know about values, culture, way of life and attitude of others (Aviles, Anderson, & Davila, 2006). Caretakers educational services for new parents should include such materials that guides them and alerts them about all the impact on children’s academic performance after witnessing their violent behavior; this is the only way to discourage and condemn violence to happen, however on the other hand a way to encourage and motivate parents to better defend or guard children and to seek help for those who get exposed to violence. Another study proposed that it not only requires adolescents interest towards school to prevent them from getting exposed to violence but also some other factors should be taken into consideration such as what is social environment in which adolescents are living, what is the parent-parent relationship and what is parent-child relationship. How adolescents are getting supervised or treated by parents and what role school teachers are playing in their development. These factors can play an important role in reforming all the struggles to break the violence increasing tremendously in the society (Frey, Ruchkin, Martin, & Schwab-Stone, 2009). Domestic violence has increased its rate tremendously in 1990s. But researchers hoped that the work done by psychologist and concerned people will make distinct changing. Also, they will develop relative theories that take into account the different reasons and results of different forms of violence rioting in society and effecting adolescents academic performance (Johnson & Ferraro, 2000). References Aviles, A., Anderson, T., & Davila, E. (2006) Child and adolescent social-emotional development within the context of school, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 11(1), 32-39 Becker, K., & McCloskey, L. (2002) Attention and conduct problems in children exposed to family violence. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 72(1), 83-91 Chemtob, C., & Carlson, J. (2004) Psychological Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Their Mothers, International Journal of Stress Management, 11(3), 209-226 Christopher M. Adams (2006). The Consequences of Witnessing Family Violence on Children and Implications for Family Counselors, The Family Journal English, D., Marshall, D., & Stewart, A. (2003) Effects of Family Violence on Child Behavior and Health during Early Childhood, Journal of Family Violence, 18(1), 43-57 Frey, A., Ruchkin, V., Martin, A., & Schwab-Stone, M. (2009) Adolescents in transition: School and family characteristics in the development of violent behaviors entering high school, Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 40(1), 1-13 Kennedy, A., & Bennet, L. (2006) Urban adolescent mothers exposed to community, family, and partner violence: is cumulative violence exposure a barrier to school performance and participation. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21 (6), 750-773 Margolin, G., Vickerman, K., Oliver, P., & Gordis, E. (2010), Violence exposure in multiple interpersonal domains: Cumulative and differential effects. Journal of Adolescent Health, 47(2), 198-205 Milner, J., & Singleton, T. (2008) Domestic violence: Solution-focused practice with men and women who are violent. Journal of Family Therapy, 30(1), 29-53 O'Keefe, M. (1998) Factors mediating the link between witnessing interparental violence and dating violence, Journal of Family Violence, 13(1), 39-57 Schnurr, M., & Lohman, B. (2008) How much does school matter? An examination of adolescent dating violence perpetration, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 37(3), 266-283 Shavers, C., Levendosky, A., Dubay, S., Basu, A., & Jenei, J. (2005) Domestic violence research: Methodological issues related to a community-based intervention with a vulnerable population. Journal of Applied Bio-behavioral Research, 10(1), 27-38 Johnson, M., & Ferraro, K. (2000) Research on Domestic violence in the 1990’s: Making distinctions, Journal of Marriage and the Family, 62 (4), 948 Salzinger, S., Rosario, M., Feldman, R., & Ng-Mak, D. (2008) Aggressive behavior in response to violence exposure: Is it adaptive for middle-school children? Journal of Community Psychology, 36(8), 1008-1025. Thompson, T., & Massat, C. (2005) Experiences of violence, post-traumatic stress, academic achievement and behavior problems of urban African-American children, Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 22(5-6), 367-393 Read More