Children from these homes may experience stress-related physical ailments, as well as hearing and speech problems. A boy who is raised in a violent home is likely to batter his female partner as an adult. A girl who witnesses her mother's abuse may learn that society accepts violence against women. Violence in the home only perpetuates violence in the streets. A great majority of criminals who assault strangers were raised in violent homes.
Domestic violence is a crime against society, as are similar acts of violence between strangers.
America's communities must spend millions of dollars on domestic violence intervention each year, including law enforcement, court proceedings, health care, and social services. The quality of community life suffers when the health and well-being of individuals and families are destroyed by domestic violence. Providing safe shelter for abused women and their children was the first major effort of the grassroots battered women's movement. Currently, there are more than 1,200 shelters, crisis lines, and safe home networks nationwide. These programs not only offer women and children safety, but also provide advocacy, support and other needed services.