It normally occurs after the victim is already emotionally involved and only in brief episodes. This should explain why some battered women don t look battered at all. But what starts with a little slapping, kicking and shaking eventually leads to severe punching, choking and beating. A trauma for children Children who witness domestic violence tend to have higher levels of behavioral and emotional problems, or so says a research conducted by the Domestic Violence and Incest Resource Center in Australia. According to the study, some children feel responsible for the violence, while others think they are helping their mother by appearing to cope well.
Boys are more likely to display their emotions while girls tend to keep their feelings inside.
Pre-adolescents are more prone to externalize their negative feelings while adolescents are more at risk of resorting to delinquency. A lot of children escape without a trace of physical injury but are inflicted with emotional scars that are more difficult to heal in the long run. In families where husbands resort to abuse, children reportedly witness about two-thirds of the incidents. About half of the children in such families have themselves become victims of the violence, including sexual or emotional abuse. This leads to emotional and behavioral disturbance such as withdrawal, low self-esteem, nightmares and aggression against friends and family members.