The Affect Domestic Violence has on Children

Introduction

The proposed research will define domestic violence focusing on children. It will outline affects domestic violence has on children and examine whether or not their physical, mental, and/or social development is delayed with prolonged domestic violence. It will also study whether or not a child's health and education is affected. The research will aim to identify different trends associated with helping those children in the midst of domestic violence within find safe alternatives to cope with the violence. Articles focusing on current trends with Domestic Violence (DV) will examine such research by defining domestic violence, identifying risks factors associated with domestic violence, and the importance of educating the community as a whole what domestic violence is and ways to protect against it.

Research has found that Children that experience domestic violence can often heal with time but some suffer long term damage because they are often mistreated by the ones they love and sometimes separated from the ones they love due to unresolved family issues that have continued over time. Children respond to domestic violence depend on how serve or traumatizing the violence is. No situation is identical, similar but not identical. Child welfare is important. Safety planning with children can ensure they have some understanding of what to do in dangerous situations and to protect to their children, the victim by separate themselves from the situation by going to a shelter as a safety precaution to help regain stability and self-sufficiency through programs offered by the shelter.

Methods

Most children that are exposed to domestic violence do not have a clear understanding what it is. They feel as though it is a way a life and grow up throughout the years believing that these actions are okay. In a sense they understand that the behavior is wrong but do not understand the severity.

• Alcohol and substance abuse later in life
• Speech delays along with motor and cognitive skills
• Behavioral issues
• Fear, guilt, depression
• Blame themselves for the violence
• Social detachment from friends and family

Other than adults, children are amongst the greater population that are affected by domestic violence. It is stated that, children who are exposed to domestic violence experience emotional, mental, and social damage that can affect their developmental growth. (Impact of Domestic Violence on Children and Youth, n.d.) The NCADV reported that, 1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence. (NCADV: Statistics, n.d.)The Domestic Violence Roundtable (The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children, 2008) reports some of the risk when children are exposed to domestic violence are:

Organizations such as Peaceful Paths serves as an outlet from domestic violence and abuse. It offer services such as a Help Line, Emergency Shelter which is temporary that offer services such as counseling, housing referrals, emotional support, and providing materials needed for everyday living, support groups to ensure clients they are not in this alone, child and youth programs which offer childcare for parents to handle business within the center, individual counseling for children along with support groups geared towards specific ages, and economic empowerment to help adults regain financial stability which includes helping them prepare for a job. (About Us: Who We Are, 2018) Within the FCADV there many organizations across Florida that offer services to those victimized by domestic violence and abuse.

Literature Review

According to the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV), Domestic Violence is defined as a pattern of controlling behaviors “ violence or threats of violence “ that one person uses to establish power over an intimate partner in order to control that partner's actions and activities. (Understanding Domestic Violence, n.d.) Acts of domestic violence can include but not limited to lethality, isolation, demeaning looks or gestures, unwanted sexual acts, controlling finances, stalking, using children, and revealing sexual orientation or status. (Understanding Domestic Violence, n.d.) It can happen anyone, anywhere, at any time.

Conclusion

The proposed research aims to study the affects domestic violence has on children within the shelter setting and ways to help children as well as the community understand what domestic violence is and ways to safely cope with it. The research will explore children that are exposed to domestic violence, organizations that offer programs to help them understand that domestic violence is not okay an they are not alone.

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