Discuss what the child told you with others who are not directly involved with helping the child. If you make a report in good faith, you will receive immunity from possible civil or criminal liability that might result from your report. Failure to report suspected case of child abuse can be punished as a misdemeanor. Because there are no visible scars, children exposed to home violence are often forgotten, or even ignored. Domestic violence happens in families of all social and economic levels Domestic violence always gets worse, and can result in suicide or homicide.
Domestic violence hits one in three families in our country.
Behavioral patterns learned by children in violent home situations affect their daily lives, often into adulthood. Children who try to prevent a parent from being battered are at a greater risk of being hurt themselves. Only 1 in 10 acts of domestic violence is ever reported. Family violence tends to be repeated over many generations.