Children may experience domestic and family violence in a number of ways including:
- Violence may begin to escalate during a woman’s pregnancy
- A woman may be assaulted while holding an infant in her arms
- A child or young person may be injured when they try to intervene to protect a parent who is being assaulted
- Children and young people may be directly assaulted
- Children and young people may directly observe violence or become aware of it in a variety of ways
- Children and young people may live with the effects of violence on the health and parenting capacity of mothers
- Children may develop a sense of responsibility for the violence- that it is their fault
- Children and young people may experience increased social isolation through living in secrecy and feelings of shame
- Some children will take on a ‘parenting role’ by caring for younger siblings and organizing household tasks
(Laing 2000: 1-4)
Physical effects can include:
- Eating and sleeping disorders
- Stomach complaints
- Head-aches
- Bed-wetting
- Panic attacks
- Diarrhea
Psychological and emotional effects can include:
- Aggressive and hyperactive behaviour
- Fear
- Anxiety
- Self-blame and low self-esteem
- Regressive behaviour
- Inability to concentrate
- Poor peer relationships
For further information see:
|
‘Caught in the Crossfire’ |
- Identifying the needs of Accompanying Children
from CALD Backgrounds in SAAP Services |
|
(attach PDF file of report) |