Domestic violence is strongly correlated with child abuse. For the endnotes of this article, click here. How Domestic Violence Affects Children As many as 10 million children are exposed to domestic violence each year. The impact that violence has on their young lives is devastating and has long-term physical, psychological, and social effects. In some cases, batterers intentionally injure their children in an effort to intimidate or control their partners.
Children can also become injured during attacks on their mother.
Children in households with domestic violence are at higher risk for sexual abuse. In homes where domestic violence occurs, children are physically abused and neglected at a rate 15 times higher than the national average. Psychological Effects Children exposed to violence frequently suffer behavioral problems such as depression, phobias, insomnia, low self-esteem, and depression. A child s exposure to chronic or extreme domestic violence may result in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, including emotional numbing, avoidance of any reminders of the violent event, or obsessive and repeated focus on the event. Infants and toddlers who witness violence in their homes show excessive irritability, immature behavior, sleep disturbances, emotional distress, fears of being alone, and regression in language and toilet training.