Domestic violence & children

Domestic violence and children

Witnessing domestic violence is abusive to children. Children in homes where domestic violence occurs are physically abused or seriously neglected at a rate 1,500 times greater than the national average in the general population.

Experts conservatively estimate that 3.3 or 4.3 million children witnes domestic violence each year based on actual reported cases. If FBI and National Institute of Justice estimates of the prevalence of unreported domestic violence are accurate, the number of children witnessing violence may be as high as 25 million annually. More than half of the children exhibit life-impairing stress symptoms similar to those of combat war veterans, according to a recent Michigan University study. Those symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, compulsive reenactments of the violence while playing, irritability, anger, and trouble paying attention in school.

Witnessing domestic violence can cause long-term effects. Children who witness domestic violence do not necessarily grow up to be abusers or be abused as adults. But, children who witness domestic violence are significantly more likely to be abused or be abusers as adults than any other children. About 70 percent of runaway children come from abusive homes. Children who witness violence in their homes are more likely to commit sexual assault, any crime against another person, or to abuse alcohol or drugs.

While child abuse often occurs without domestic abuse, spouse abuse is the best predictor of child abuse. Between 50 and 70 percent of men who batter their female partners also abuse their children. The severity of spouse beating will likely indicate the severity of child abuse.