by mamalu77

Created on: February 06, 2010

The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children.

The effects of domestic violence on children are devastating, to say the least, on children of any age. I becomes a life long torture from infancy to adult hood.

If a woman is being physically abused while pregnant the fetus can, be hurt or worse, killed inside the womb by the abusers hands. Not to mention the release of chemicals from the mothers system.The baby may also learn to fear the voice of the abuser when born.

Infants can become unattached and even unresponsive to any adult attention. The abused mother may loose the ability to nurture her child causing the baby become passive because they don't think they will get their needs met. Crying becomes excessive and you may find that eventually you can't console your baby due to the stress in the home. Sleep,eating and developmental disorders are likely, these can occur during all ages.

Unlike popular belief,toddlers/preschoolers are very aware of what goes on around them. The child starts to experience illnesses that may or may not be valid, from stomach pains, headaches, even infections such as bladder infection have been reported to occur. Your toddler is likely to have separation anxiety, becoming clingy to the abused parent. Many nights can become filled with nightmares. Toddlers don't get to explore or experiment in their curiosity, which is needed for healthy development. A toddler may even become depressed and by seeing so much anger in the home that becomes the only emotion they learn.

By the time a child is of school age it s common for them to have developed cooping mechanisms. Being only two ways to go in their eyes there aren't many options so they don't expect to succeed. Their self esteem drops and encounter conflicts with peers and teachers due to not learning the skills necessary to be social, or quiet the opposite making a lot of friends and having perfect grades, because they seek approval as they aren't getting it at home, and living in a frightful and unpredictable environment.

It is also common to feel love and hate for their parents. "Loving the person, hating the behavior." They, at this age, experience numerous negative feelings: guilt, sadness, depression. They become powerless and unable to relax. It is possible for children to exhibit signs of post-traumatic stress syndrome.

By the time your child becomes an adolescence the signs and symptoms become actual disorders. If they did not eat well before it will have turned into anorexia, bulimia, or obesity. Becoming frustrated in school they may drop out. They become fearful, feeling powerless and hopeless. Some run away or become a gang member, sexually active, use drugs, or worse, commit suicide. High statistics show that they will usually continue the behavior by becoming a abuser, or abused them self.

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