Everywhere across the globe, people are being affected by domestic violence. No precise target group can be changed because an individual of any culture, age, religion, and sex can be a victim. As days pass, the issue of domestic violence is increasing, and from the looks of it, it seems like it’s not stopping anytime soon. For many years, domestic violence has been associated with male dominance, as males have always been the aggressors and the women the victims. This has resulted in society thinking of men overpowering women both physically and mentally each time they think of domestic violence. The objective of this paper is to coherently discuss how domestic violence affects the children in families experiencing domestic violence.
One of the impacts of family violence is that children feel neglected. Kids tend to be stressed living in domestic violence, and thus, their needs are rarely attended to. Infants and little children may feel detached from their main care providers and may, therefore, lack trust. Consequently, children may exhibit stunted growth and development due to lack of stimulation and may also show sleeping and eating disorders. Additionally, the fact that caregivers neglect the children under their care may leave the children vulnerable to sickness, creating tremendous challenges in emotional and cognitive development as well as their general well-being (Graham-Bermann & Levendosky, 2011).
The children may also suffer emotional disorders. With the challenges and inability to handle their life situations and experiences, kids may develop low self-esteem and a lack of confidence. Consequently, they may develop depression, stutters, stress disorders, insomnia, phobias, impaired concentration, psychosomatic conditions and difficulties in school, among others. The problems become more prominent as a result of a lack of attendance by the care providers as they concentrate on their survival and needs. Domestic violence may be brought about by arguments about children’s upbringing or their behaviour. This may create a feeling of responsibility for the family abuse, leading to self-blame among children. Children tend to compensate for this feeling through overly pleasant character, developing suicidal thoughts or exhibiting extreme out-of-hand behaviour. The kids may blame themselves literally for the domestic abuse they witness and may feel it is all their fault that if they were not there, peace would be prevalent (Lee, Stanko & Stanko, 2014).
Low self-esteem is another effect of family violence on children. Kids brought up in violent surroundings usually have loose and poor definitions and descriptions of self and values. They may also have inconsistent answers and responses from their parents and guardians regarding the child’s character, which can adversely affect their self-esteem further. Emotional and psychological abuse also impacts self-esteem and results in feelings of helplessness, confusion, and powerlessness. Consequently, children may show divided loyalties. Adults in a violent family may use the kids against one another since children often try to defend and protect all family members. In most cases, children feel disappointed to see their two parents, whom they love, hurting and creating confusion. This leads to feelings of guilt and shame, which can prompt the child to isolate themselves from other family members and peers. The abuse usually locks these kids into silence (Norman, 2011).
Domestic violence may lead to a lack of trust. Violent or erratic parents confuse the children in the sense that they do not know whether they will be physically and emotionally neglected or whether they will acquire an outpouring of love and affection as their parents or guardians make reconciliation efforts of their abusive behaviour. In such chaotic scenarios, kids are torn on who to trust and when. Domestic violence also leads to mixed feelings in the sense that they feel helpless, guilty, fearful and embarrassed (Hollin, 2013).
Children also fear being abandoned. In most cases, children are sent to stay with neighbours, friends or other family members during or after an attack. Separations among siblings may occur if the authorities may be prompted to intervene. Guardians may fear that the children may be taken into protective custody by the authorities or maybe kidnapped by abusive spouses with the aim of using them as a bargaining chip or leverage against their spouses. With these situations in place, children may feel the separation anxiety. Runaways may also occur as the kids escape and run away from the violent and chaotic environments at home with a determination to seek independence, peace, and liberty from rage, violence, and arguments back at home. Children tend to believe that an effective way of dealing with the crisis at home is running away from their challenges rather than communicating and talking to others regarding their problems for help (Norman, 2011).
Domestic violence can affect the performance of children in school. This is usually caused by a lack of attentiveness, short rest, and reduced nutritional habits in kids. The inability to finish their homework and low self-esteem are the primary causes of poor performance in learning institutions. Consequently, children may indulge in drug and substance abuse. The kids may take drugs as the best solution to deal with the challenges they face at home, usually caused by inadequate and inappropriate coping mechanisms incorporated by insufficient self-esteem. Typically, children brought up in such erratic environments may fall to peer pressure and get involved in drug and substance abuse, mostly alcohol (Graham-Bermann & Levendosky, 2011).
From the precedent, it is clear that domestic violence has a wide array of effects on children. These include cognitive and behavioural effects that can impact the child’s character and development. Consequently, children may become drug addicts or also run away from their homes.
References
Graham-Bermann, S., & Levendosky, A. (2011). How intimate partner violence affects children. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Hollin, C. (2013). The psychology of interpersonal violence.
Lee, R., Stanko, E., & Stanko, E. (2014). Researching Violence. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.
Norman, A. (2011). Protecting children from the effects of domestic violence. Nursing Standard, 25(28), 33-33. http://dx.doi.org/10.7748/ns.25.28.33.s49
