What About the Children
Children growing up in domestic violence homes not only carry the baggage of violence and abuse with them, but some of them never make it to adulthood.
After 20 years of research and review, many facts about violence and children are undisputed:
• Approximately 5 million children are exposed to domestic violence every year. Children exposed are more likely to attempt suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away from home, engage in teenage prostitution, and commit sexual assault crimes.
NNDEV fact sheet
• A child witnessed violence in 22% (nearly 1 in 4) of intimate partner violence cases filed in state courts.
• 30 to 60% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse children in the household.
DoJ report : "Co-occurring Partner Violence and Child Maltreatment"
• There is a common link between domestic violence and child abuse. Among victims of child abuse, 40% report domestic violence in the home (from a WORLD REPORT)
• One study in North America found that children who were exposed to violence in the home were 15 times more likely to be physically and/or sexually assaulted than the national average.
• The U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect suggests that domestic violence may be the single major precursor to child abuse and neglect fatalities in this country.
UNICEF report : "The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children"
Though some children are extremely resilient to the impact of family violence, many suffer profound impacts. Research demonstrates immediate or short-term impacts on many children, including: Stuttering, eating and sleeping disorders, mood swings, anxiety, fear, sadness and depression, performance problems in school, increased aggression. The long-term impacts on violence on the lives of children are also sobering:
• Eating disorders, delinquency, substance abuse and suicide.
• Deficits in social competence, school achievement and peer relations.
• Serious emotional and behavioral problems.
• Identification with the abuser by the male children by the age of 13 or 14.
• Increased likelihood by girls of accepting abuse in their adult relationships