Children Exposed to Domestic Violence

Children exposed to domestic violence

A cold day on February 17, 2011 became a day my child or myself will never forget. My son at the young age of a year and two months, became a child statistic for witnessing a domestic violence case. From that day forward I knew, I needed to provide my undivided attention to ensure he was safe in my care and watch. Statistics show that children exposed to violence are, more likely than their peers to abuse their loved ones and or end up in the prison system as adults. It has been my ongoing goal to seek the proper knowledge to help my child, develop into any amazing young man. Including the insurance that he has a strong mother by his side. Children are very fragile at young ages and when violence of any kind is present in their lives, it can greatly affect their future. As a parent it is your job to provide a loving and caring environment to raise you children. Remember, children are like walking sponges they absorb everything that is placed in front of them. Individuals need to understand their actions could greatly affect the future of that child's life. I am struggling to remove the anger that my child seems to express every day because anger seems to be all he knows how to express. I have his father to thank for that.

Domestic violence causes harm to children in a variety of different ways. Never is it healthy for a child to be around domestic violence in the home. Exposure can cause children to cry themselves to sleep at night due to sadness and fear. A child will grow up thinking domestic violence is normal, will even lie to protect the abuser to give the appearance of being normal to the outside world. Domestic violence exposure will also cause children to act out as a troubled individual in life. As observed with my child fear lasts forever, he isolates himself in his room as a security blanket.

Children learn how to behave by observing the people in his or her environment. Witnessing violence challenges a child's basic sense of trust in the world. Children who grow up in a violent residence may come to see the world as dangerous or erotic. They may develop emotional and behavioral problems, which can even lead him or her into becoming perpetrators or victims of domestic violence in adulthood. The question is, if children cannot depend on caregivers then who can they depend on? My son is experiencing developmental problems he has a very low tolerance