As they grow and develop, children form assumptions about the world in which they live. Exposure to domestic violence creates inordinate stresses in a child s life. Instead of becoming used to regular routines in a safe environment, children enter an environment filled with stress and tension. From the time children are conceived, they become intimately connected with and affected by domestic violence directed at their mothers. Violence tends to increase during pregnancy, which in turn contributes to an increased rate of miscarriage.
Infants often develop an intense fear of adults, lose their appetite and scream incessantly.
Unfortunately, these behaviors create more strain for families that are already over-stressed. Acting Out Sharon is four years old. Every child responds differently to witnessing or directly experiencing domestic violence, depending on his or her temperament, usual coping mechanisms, developmental stage and support systems. Some children may respond with internalized symptoms such as regression and social isolation. Others may develop externalized negative behaviors that includes nightmares, hyperactivity, aggression and delinquency.