Domestic Abuse: the Effects of Exposure on Children

FACULTY OF LIBERAL ARTS & PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:
THE EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE ON CHILDREN

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:
THE EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE ON CHILDREN
INTRODUCTION
Domestic violence (DV) is a widespread societal issue with repercussions that reach far beyond the family. It is conduct that has detrimental effects for individual victims, children, and their communities. With both long-term and short-term effects, the witnessing of violence in general has been linked to behavioural, emotional and cognitive damage in children. The extent of damage can be attributed to their developmental level, the amount of exposure, physical closeness to the incident, and naturally, the emotional ties one has to those involved. Given these parameters, it is evident that the exposure to violence between parents is a particularly traumatizing reality for children who suffer full consequences of a turbulent home life. Every year in fact, it has been reported that up to 275 million children worldwide are caught in the crossfire of domestic violence. Considering that DV is most often conducted in the home – the one environment best associated with safety and protection, it is of no surprise that a child’s exposure to marital violence has been connected to an assortment of issues. This paper aims to extract the topic of DV in a North American context by focussing on the role of children who are witnesses to spousal abuse. Though children in these circumstances may not be the direct victims of abuse, the effects on children are wide-ranging and often regrettably, overlooked. In order to effectively and efficiently react to individuals suffering domestic violence, we must not only understand the nature and causes of domestic violence, but also understand how violence affects the victims, perpetrators, children, and community at large. Having a thorough understanding of the phenomenon of DV will enable us with the

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