More than 3 million children witness domestic violence in their homes every year (“Domestic Violence: Statistics & Facts”). All children, whether they are a young child in preschool or a teenager in high school, face challenges when exposed to domestic violence. Seeing traumatizing events involving violence can affect their ability to do everyday tasks and can alter their success of their future. Children who are exposed to domestic violence are more at risk to be affected physically and emotionally compared to children who do not experience it.
As society has struggled with domestic abuse, it has become more prevalent that this is a large problem with detrimental consequences. In "Child Custody Decisions In Families …show more content…
It [domestic violence] is a nightmare that children constantly try to escape. Some children eventually find a way out, but others can be consumed by the terror that is their reality. It has been proven that, “Children exposed to domestic violence (CEDV) are at an increased risk for developing depression, anxiety, and often demonstrate more behavioral problems such as aggression toward others, acting out, non-compliance in school, and delinquency” (Nguyen, Edleson, and Kimball 49). When children are witnessing violence frequently they tend to believe that that type of behavior is acceptable. This causes them to display disruptive actions because violent behavior is the only demeanor that has been shown to them and they think that it [violence] is normal. Other kids exhibit signs of anxiety or depression due to the amount of fear that has been instilled inside of them. Kids who experience these symptoms are often worried of when the next violent episode will be. This causes them to become distracted and guarded which draws their attention away from things they need to focus on, like school. In "Countering Domestic Violence” the article stated, “A child may injure themselves, accidentally or deliberately, and this is one of the reasons why a woman would consider revealing abuse, seeking help, and leaving home” (2). Adolescents who become overwhelmed by domestic violence tend to inflict more pain on themselves, with hopes that it will distract them from the existing agony that is being encountered at home. Another reason why a child might harm themselves is because they want to grasp their mother’s attention to show how witnessing abuse is affecting them.When mothers see how the abuse is affecting their child’s mental and physical state it urges them to get out of the dangerous situation that they are