Introduction
Domestic violence is an issue that infiltrates many areas of its victims’ lives. It is defined as behavior that involves physical or emotional abuse conducted by a spouse or a partner. There are several types of domestic violence, including physical, sexual, and verbal abuse. In addition, domestic violence is exemplified by control, isolation, and manipulation of the victim. This work aims to analyze and consider the effects that domestic violence has on children that bear witness to it. Being exposed to domestic violence for prolonged periods causes a child to develop severe physical and/or mental problems that, in the future, affect their well-being and integration into society.
The Effects of Domestic Violent on Children
Witnessing domestic abuse can lead to a plethora of negative consequences for a child. Among those consequences are mental health adversities such as anxiety, PTSD, and depression (“Domestic Violence and Children”, 2010). These issues can lead to improper or stagnant development of social skills and poor integration into society (Carlson, Voith, Brown, & Holmes, 2019). Lacking social etiquette might worsen the beforementioned mental health issues, turning them into more acute disorders; for example, bipolar disorder and self-destructive behavior.
Another adverse outcome that children might face is exhibiting aggressive behavior. Such behavior could be pronounced through both emotional and physical abuse of those close to the victim (Straus, 1992). Primary examples of aggressive behavior include bullying, destruction of property, gossiping, and excluding or ignoring people. Aggression can be turned into more dangerous activities that result in severe damage done to a person or property, which, in turn, could lead to the past victim’s incarceration.
In addition, the presence of domestic violence in the household can lead to various physical problems for the children. Physical adversities include such dangerous ailments as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Research shows that the presence of domestic violence can affect a child even when they are asleep, causing a shrinking of certain parts of their brain (Jayne, O., & Mabinty, 2019). These ailments, in turn, affect a person’s life span, employment opportunities, and mental health.
Solutions
On the one hand, it is important to focus on alleviating the harmful consequences brought on by witnessing domestic violence. On the other hand, ensuring that methods of prevention are in place and overlooked by the school and legal systems is a valid and advantageous strategy. Several options would benefit the preventive measures initiative. For example, therapy, additional channels of communication for victims to reach out through, and offering support for those who flee the throes of domestic abuse. In addition, it is essential to listen to those who have fallen victim to domestic violence (Basile, 2019). The insight provided by their experiences will supply those responsible for new strategies with key information for prevention and interference. The steps that need to be taken in this direction vary from listening to the victims and offering them support to revising acts that regulate children’s safety and well-being.
Another useful tactic would be to provide ways and methods of developing healthy coping mechanisms. These methods can include creating a well-balanced diet, exercising, relaxing during the day as well as meditation, and other kinds of activities that promote mindfulness (“Stress: coping with life’s stressors”, 2020). As a result of using these mechanisms, a person might be able to take responsibility, ask for help, devise problem-solving strategies, and distance themselves from the source of distress.
Several socio-economic factors affect the rates of domestic violence. These include unemployment, poverty, mental illnesses, substance abuse, housing problems, and troubled neighborhoods (“Risk factors associated with the co-occurrence”, n.d). According to various pieces of research, statistics of domestic violence and how it impacts children are closely related to issues of ethics and race. The ways minorities have been overrepresented in cases of domestic violence have been a subject of scrutiny for the past 40 years. The figures for children in domestic violence situations are as follows: 14.3 for Native Americans, 13.4 for African Americans, 8.1 for white Americans, and 1.6 for Asian American children (Howze, K. A., & McKeig, 2019). The divide speaks of subconscious biases that play a part when accounting for child mistreatment.
The aspect of culture should be addressed specifically when talking about possible interventions employed to protect children from the effects of domestic violence. It is natural to assume that to prevent a child from suffering detrimental consequences of domestic violence, the child should be removed from the space where the abuse occurs. However, as has been shown in a 2018 study, in certain cases, this option alone is not adequate. For indigenous people, for example, the sense of community and cultural environment is closely linked with health and comfort, so simply separating the victims from abusers is not enough – a proper environment should be provided for both the parent and the child (Klingspohn, 2018). To consider cultural specifics means to obtain a full insight into a person’s cultural and social background without being intrusive or overbearing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, witnessing domestic violence can lead to severe problems for children and their close ones. The adversities that could be developed as a result include mental and physical health problems, as well as aggressive behavioral patterns. Several methods could be employed to mend and prevent damage done by domestic abuse. Therapy, leaving channels to reach out, and listening to people’s experiences and hardships can provide healing for those who are hurt and knowledge for those who are willing to help. In addition, it is advisable to spread information about healthy coping mechanisms for victims to rely on and use in stressful situations.
References
Basile, C. K. (2019). The Office of Women’s Health. Web.
Carlson, J., Voith, L., Brown, J. C., & Holmes, M. (2019). Viewing children’s exposure to intimate partner violence through a developmental, social-ecological, and survivor lens: The current state of the field, challenges, and future directions. Violence against women, 25(1), 6–28.
Domestic violence and children. (2010). Web.
Howze, K. A., & McKeig, A. K. (2019). The Greenbook and the overrepresentation of African American, Hispanic, and Native American families in the child welfare system. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 70(4), 103–118.
Klingspohn, D. M. (2018). The importance of culture in addressing domestic violence for First Nation’s women. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 872.
Jayne, O., & Mabinty, Q. (2019). The startling toll on children who witness domestic violence is just now being understood. Web.
Risk factors associated with the co-occurrence (n.d). Web.
Stress: coping with life’s stressors (2020). Web.