Domestic Violence

This paper discusses if the Children who witness domestic violence growing up are more likely to commit domestic violence as an adult or not.

Childhood is regarded as a period of special protection and rights in western culture. Children's development is expected to unfold within a secure and nurturing environment. Where the environment is infected by violence and fear, all the normal tasks of growing up are likely to be adversely affected. For example, exposure to violence can result in 'regressive' symptoms such as increased bedwetting, delayed language development and more anxiety over separation from parents (McInnes 1995). These symptoms may affect children's ability to learn to get along with other children or to concentrate in school. An extensive survey of the research evidence has shown how strongly the experience of violence is associated with adverse outcomes for children's development. Marital conflict has been found to be the strongest risk factor for behavioural problems (Laing 2000).

It was significantly associated with externalising and internalising behaviours and social, attention and thought problems when children were assessed at the age of five. And the more frequent and intense episodes of interparental conflict were, the more likely it was that children exhibited problem behaviours. However, there are some difficulties in interpreting this data that we need to keep in mind. First of all, research on children exposed to domestic violence has often looked at children in refuges or shelters. These children are coping not only with the aftermath of frightening domestic incidents but a sudden change of home, of schooling and friendships, adjustment to refuge living and what may have been the breaking of the family secret. In short, there are many significant disruptions to their way of life.

They are not typical of most children exposed to domestic violence. Only a tiny minority ...