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How are children affected by domestic violence?

When there is a domestically violent relationship between two adults, it easy to understand how this type of relationship is not healthy or safe for the adult victim who directly receives the abuse. I

t may be easy to see how victims are physically hurt and emotionally impacted due to the abuse they suffer from their partner. What may not be as easy to understand is the impact that these actions have on the children in the home that witness the abuse.

Some may argue that this type of behavior is between the adults in the home and does not involve the children therefore there is no impact on them. Research has proven this belief to be very wrong, and completely opposite.

When children witness domestic violence they are more than just another set of eyes watching, they are also a victim that experiences a varying degree of side effects from this exposure.

Here is a summary of what one may see if children are exposed to domestic violence. Not all children will exhibit these symptoms from exposure to domestic violence and this is by far not an all inclusive list.

• Infants may have disruptions in their bonding and attachment due to frequent changes in the home and may also have a lack of responsiveness to the arguing and not react at all when there is something happening in their home.
• Preschool aged children may have sleeping issues or have lots of trouble separating from their parents.
• Elementary School aged children may show effects of domestic violence by being both eager to please and then being angry. They may also show some developmental delays due to the violence.
• Preadolescence may become very guarded and secretive about their home life (Not having any friends over for example) or may show increased depression and poor social skills
• *Adolescence may start to experiment with drugs or alcohol to deal with the feelings they have related to the domestic violence at home or they may start to have relationships that are like the ones that they see at home.
• *At any age a child could be seriously injured if a physical altercation breaks out or if there are objects being thrown around or broke in the home.
• At any age a child could be a victim of homicide due to the power and control of a batterer.

In the state of Maine exposing children to a domestically violent relationship is also child abuse. If you know that this is happening in a home where a child is, it should be reported to Child Protective Services at 1-800-452-1999.

If you have specific questions that can be addressed in this column, please contact dgallagher@safevoices.org

For more information about the Oxford County Domestic Violence Task Force contact- dgallagher@safevoices.org or call 364-9908

For more information about Safe Voices, check out their website at, www.safevoices.org.

If you are looking for information and/or support, for yourself or someone else, you can call their 24 hr. Helpline @ 1-800-559-2927