All too often they have been the recipients of shaming angry words and physical abuse from parents, husband, or even siblings. With help, it is possible to stop this cycle of horror and provide a better life for you and your children. You must first see the abuse for what it is, believe that you can get yourself out of it and then seek help to do so. Sadly, some incarcerated children report prison to be the safest place they have ever lived. Generally, no one is raping them or beating them.
Violence begets violence.
Eight times as many women report using physical discipline on their children while living with a batterer than when living alone or in a non-abusive relationship. Children who witness their mother's abuse suffer from anxiety and depression with associated low self-esteem and poor school performance. These children are at high risk for becoming the victims and perpetrators of domestic violence as adults. Tragically, many children believe that they are responsible for the violence in the home. They need help in understanding it is not their fault.