DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Domestic Violence

[Word Count: 4, 552]

Domestic Violence

Introduction

The paper focuses on negative influences of family violence and poor parenting on the child development. Various theories have been identified to critically analyze the difference between normal and abnormal behaviour of child and identify factors, which may cause a child to demonstrate such behaviour. The paper provides evidence and back end support from the Britain law on child safety and protection and the extent to which the healthcare sector has played its role in a protected child development.

A case is selected to draw on better conclusions on the associated aspects of child development and family relations from scientific, social and applied perspective. The paper also discusses the key role played by health visitors and health professionals in this regard to ensure the safety and protection of vulnerable young children. In the light of Laming report and the NHS trust's initiatives, certain roles of HV's are outlined to ensure the utmost protection and healthy development of such children, who are exposed to domestic violence or parenting negligence.

Selected Family Case

Selected case presents a scenario of family comprising of three family members including mother, father and a two years old child. Family relationship between husband and wife has led to acts of domestic violence, and has an immense effect on the physical and psychological development of their child. To be specific to the scenario, husband has been abusive towards his wife during her pregnancy and his violent behaviour has continued even after the birth of child. In the light of Coventry policy, his abusive behaviour is leading to domestic violence, which is harmful to the health of mother as well as the born child (Coventry, 2012, p. 7). Such an irresponsible behaviour from parenting may cause death of the child or it may lead to abnormalities in the born child. The child has grown up in such an abusive and ignorant family environment, which has affected his early development stages and has caused him to become more violent and aggressive like his father. Case states that at the age of 2, the child himself has become aggressive towards his mother and is becoming more violent. This situation provides evidence to the fact that abusive family environment and poor parenting has negatively influenced child's cognitive and social development and has made him vulnerable.

Child Development from a Scientific Perspective

Child development is a very sensitive issue and it needs intensive care to enable effective cognitive and social development in children. Scholars such as Piaget, Vygotsky and Kohlberg have proposed theories, which reflect child development and factors, which may lead to complexities in their development process. In their view, a child is sensitive to his surroundings and can have positive as well as negative effects of the environment, which can be evident from his behaviour.

Piaget's Human Development Theory

According to Ackermann (n.d., p. 1), Piaget has presented a child's development process by dividing it into four different stages, and highlighting major areas of a child's interest and his ability to achieve ...