Effects of domestic violence on children topic's main category domestic violence
Prenatal
The physical effects of domestic violence on children, unlike the effects of direct abuse, can start when they are a fetus in their mother's womb, which can result in low infant birth weights, premature birth, excessive bleeding, and fetal death due to the mother's physical trauma and emotional stress. Increased maternal stress during the times of abuse, especially when combined with smoking and drug abuse, can also lead to premature deliveries and low weight babies. When a woman is stressed while pregnant, the baby can be born with stress and anxiety and can sometimes have problems with growth.Infants
Infant children who are present in the home where domestic violence occurs often fall victim to being "caught in the crossfire." They may suffer physical injuries from unintentional trauma as their parent is suffering from abuse. Infants may be inconsolable and irritable, have a lack of responsiveness secondary to lacking the emotional and physical attachment to their mother, have developmental delays, and have excessive diarrhea from both trauma and stress. Infants are most affected by the environment of abuse because their brain hasn't fully developed.Emotional symptoms
Children exposed to violence in their home often have conflicting feelings towards their parents. For instance, distrust and affection often coexist for the abuser. The child becomes overprotective of the victim and feels sorry for them.They often develop anxiety, fearing that they may be injured or abandoned, that the child's parent being abused will be injured, or that they are to blame for the violence that is occurring in their homes. Grief, shame, and low self-esteem are common emotions that children exposed to domestic violence experience.Anger
Some children act out through anger and are more aggressive than other children. Even in situations that do not call for it, children will respond with anger. Children and young people particularly highlighted angry feelings as a consequence of experiencing domestic violence. Physical aggression can also manifest towards the victim from the children as the victim does not have the ability to develop authority and control over them.Post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can result in children from exposure to domestic violence. Symptoms of this are nightmares, insomnia, anxiety, increased alertness to the environment, having problems concentrating, and can lead to physical symptoms. If the child experiences chronic early maltreatment within the caregiving relationship, then complex PTSD can result.Social symptoms
Children exposed to domestic violence frequently do not have the foundation of safety and security that is normally provided by the family. The children experience a desensitization to aggressive behavior, poor anger management, poor problem solving skills, and learn to engage in exploitative relationships.
Symptoms include isolation from friends and relatives in an effort to stay close to siblings and victimized parent.
The adolescent may display these symptoms by joining a gang or becoming involved in dating relationships that mimic the learned behavior.Children exposed to domestic violence require a safe nurturing environment and the space and respect to progress at their own pace. The caretaker should provide reassurance and an increased sense of security by providing explanations and comfort for the things that worry the children, like loud noises. Children should develop and maintain positive contact with significant others such as distant family members. All family members are encouraged to become involved in community organizations designed to assist families in domestic violence situations.Effects on witnessing infants
Cries excessively, screaming
Digestive problems
Failure to thrive
Feeding and sleeping routines are disrupted
Frequent illness
Irritability, sadness, anxiety
Low weight
Need for attachment is disrupted
No appetite
Sleeping problems
Startles easilyDual exposure
It is important to note that children exposed to domestic violence are more at risk for other forms of maltreatment such as physical abuse and neglect. Research suggests that parents who are violent with one another are at higher risk for physically abusing their children. Recent research has proposed that the consequences of child abuse and domestic violence exposure are often similar and mimic one another. Children who are abused and exposed to domestic violence exhibit emotional, psychological, and behavioral consequences that are almost identical to one another. In fact, some researchers refer to this dual exposure as the "double whammy" effect because children receive double exposure to traumatic events and thus react twofold to the abuse and exposure to domestic violence. Emotionally, children who experience the "double whammy" effect can exhibit fear, guilt, isolation, and low self-esteem. Additional psychological outcomes for these children include depression, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Children who experience dual exposure to both physical abuse and domestic violence possess more behavioral problems than those who experience only one or the other.The long-term effects of dual exposure in young children can have very negative outcomes later in life. These outcomes have been documented as leading to behavioral problems that include school dropout, violence, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, eating disorders, and even suicide attempts. A study following children from preschool through adolescence found that young children exposed to domestic violence and child abuse were more likely to experience anti-social behaviors in their adolescence. Young children exposed to both domestic violence and child abuse were also more likely to commit an assault and participate in delinquent behavior in their adolescence than those not exposed at all. Lastly, the Adverse Childhood Experiences study (ACE) found a connection between multiple categories of childhood trauma (e.g., child abuse, household dysfunction including domestic violence, and child neglect) and health/behavioral outcomes later in life. The more traumas a child was exposed to, the greater risk for disabilities, social problems, and adverse health outcomes. More recently, researchers have used elements of this model to continue analysis into different aspects of trauma, stressful experiences, and later development.