How Does Domestic Abuse Affect Children

Who Does Domestic Abuse Really Affect?
Imagine being a young child raised in a house where shrieks from punches, thuds of objects hitting the walls, and the screams of curse words and bad names thrown around is considered normal. The term “domestic abuse” is used to describe when a person in an intimate relationship acts violently towards or is abused by their significant other. When people think of domestic abuse, they typically think of the adults in the relationship, but something that goes commonly underlooked is the children exposed to it. Domestic abuse can negatively affect the children exposed to it because they are likely to obtain serious mental illnesses and are often more aggressive and violent towards others. In many cases of domestic abuse, the children are also abused as well.
Young children that have been or are currently exposed to domestic violence are more than likely to obtain serious
mental illnesses. According to the article “Children and Domestic Violence”, long-term effects on children who have witnessed domestic abuse may include posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression (“Children…”). Kids typically acquire these psychological illnesses due to their lack of ability to cope with this kind of trauma in their lives. The occurrence of domestic abuse in a child’s life can take a terrifying toll on the mind, long after the events have taken place. The website www.refuge.org demonstrates that in a lot of cases, children that have grown up around domestic violence retrieve a variety of mental disorders because they place the blame on themselves for the abuse (“Refuge”). It’s difficult to pinpoint the root cause of a domestically violent relationship, so young kids often think that it’s a result of the adult resenting the child’s presence in their life. Children are left to question themselves as to what they did wrong and undergo a sense of guilt which results in feelings of depression and/or other mental illnesses. Children that have witnessed domestic abuse commonly act out aggressively towards people and think that violence inflicted on others is acceptable. The website en.wikipedia.org emphasizes the effect of domestic violence on youths and indicates that kids may grow up thinking abuse in an intimate relationship is okay. They often end up abusing or accepting abuse from their significant others in their adulthood (“Effects of Domestic Violence on Children.” Wikipedia). Additionally, an article on www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org establishes that,“They may also use violence to express themselves, displaying increased aggression with peers” (“Effects of Domestic Violence on Children.” Effects…). Children who have grown up and witnessed abusive acts between their parents or parental figures don’t always know that the violence they have viewed is not okay. It’s not uncommon, for people that are raised in a household where abuse is prevalent, to inflict or accept violence in their own intimate relationships. It is also natural for children who have been brought up around domestic abuse to act out the aggression they’ve seen towards other people, including their friends. Many children in a domestically violent environment don’t understand that acting out abusively towards others is unacceptable and end up inheriting those violent traits as they grow older. Youths that have been raised in an atmosphere where domestic abuse is frequently present are often times being abused as well. An article on www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org touches on the devastating fact that in some situations, kids with domestically abusive parental figures also face physical or sexual abuse themselves (“Effects of Domestic Violence on Children.” Effects…). Many times, if an adult is violent with their spouse, they are likely abusive towards their children as well. Someone with a violent nature may bring out that violence onto anyone around them, including their own kids, when they get angry. Furthermore, the website www.domesticviolence.com identifies that, “Children may be hurt if struck by a weapon or a thrown object and older children are frequently assaulted when they intervene to defend or protect their mothers” (“Impact”...). It’s common that if a child sees someone brutally attacking one of their parents, even if it’s the other parent causing the violence, they will try and protect whoever is getting beaten on. Whether it’s an accident or on purpose, the child can also get abused themselves for getting in the way. Other times when objects are being thrown between parents as an act of violence, if a child is present, they could be the one to get hit. It is a very sad and unfortunate thing for a child to witness domestic abuse in their family, let alone the child being abused as well. Domestic abuse in a child’s life can affect them in many negative ways.
Children exposed to domestic violence can become mentally ill with depression or anxiety and, in some cases, blame themselves for the the abuse between their parents. Kids in a domestically abusive household may also grow up to believe that being violent or accepting violence from loved ones is okay and they may act out aggressively towards others. Children may be abused physically or sexually themselves and sometimes take on the abuse when trying to interfere to stop the violence. We need to remember that not only are the adults in a domestically abusive relationship affected, the kids witnessing the abuse can also be severely damaged because of it. As we grow older, we become role models for younger generations. Every decision we make is viewed by the children around us, so let’s set an example for them. We need to decrease the amount of domestic abuse in this society, especially when children are involved, to make sure that they can grow up in a mentally and physically stable
environment.

Works Cited
“Children and Domestic Violence.” Children and Domestic Violence | National Child Traumatic
Stress Network - Child Trauma Home, 24 May 2010, www.nctsn.org/content/children-and-domestic-violence. Accessed 6 Mar. 2017. “Effects of Domestic Violence on Children.” Effects of Domestic Violence on Children, www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org/effect-on-children.html. Accessed 6 Mar. 2017.
“Effects of Domestic Violence on Children.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Feb. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_domestic_violence_on_children. Accessed 6 Mar.
2017.
“Impact of Domestic Violence on Children and Young People.” Impact of Domestic Violence on
Children and Young People, www.domesticviolence.com.au/pages/impact-of-domestic-violence-children-and-young-p eople.php. Accessed 6 Mar. 2017.
“Refuge.” Refuge, www.refuge.org.uk/get-help-now/what-is-domestic-violence/effects-of-domestic-violenc e-on-children/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2017.