Domestic abuse
What effect does domestic abuse have on children?
When abuse takes place within the home, the children will always suffer. Whether they are seeing it happen or are being abused themselves, the effect on the child is significant.
For example, a child may try to stop one parent hitting the other and be hurt in the process or be forced to watch a parent being abused. All children who witness domestic abuse are themselves being emotionally abused.
Each child responds to trauma differently, but some of the symptoms that have been reported include:
- anxiety or depression
- difficulty sleeping
- nightmares or flashbacks
- nervousness
- complaining of feeling physically unwell, for example, tummy aches
- wetting the bed
- temper tantrums
- acting younger than their age
- having problems at school
- becoming aggressive or withdrawn
- poor self-esteem
- playing truant from school or starting to use alcohol or drugs
- self-harming, for instance by taking overdoses or cutting themselves
- developing an eating disorder
- feelings of anger, guilt, insecurity, loneliness, fear, powerlessness or confusion.
- feelings of ambivalence towards both parents
- early sexual activity.