Domestic Violence : The Forgotten Children

When domestic violence takes place it is easy to forget just how much of an impact it may have on a child witnessing it in any way. This article examines the effect it has on children in these situations.



"All professionals, including those working with offenders and adults, need to be alert to the effects of domestic violence on children". "There is a considerable body of research which shows children who grow up in families where there is domestic violence and/or parental alcohol or drug misuse are at increase risk of significant harm (Cleaver et al 1999; Harbin and Murphy 2000; Velleman and Orford 2001; Cawson 2002; Kroll and Taylor 2003; Humphreys and Stanley, 2006). Unborn children may be vulnerable to direct harm through for example, the impact of maternal alcohol or drug misuse or physical assaults directed at the pregnant woman’s abdomen. Children’s vulnerability also stems from the impact of domestic violence or substance misuse on parenting capacity. Domestic violence and parental drug or alcohol misuse can result in parents having difficulty in organising their lives and meeting their own and their children’s physical needs; shopping, cooking and cleaning may be neglected. Parents may experience difficulty in controlling their emotions and severe mood swings can frighten children and leave them feeling uncertain, anxious and over vigilant. Domestic violence or parental substance misuse may also affect the parent-child relationship: roles are reversed as children assume the physical and emotional care of their parent and younger siblings.



All aspects of children’s lives are vulnerable. Their health and development may be negatively affected as parents’ capacity to meet basic needs is impaired. This is frequently exacerbated as domestic violence and parental substance misuse frequently impact on family functioning, housing, income, and social integration. Such as multiplicity of problems requires different agencies and organisations to collaborate in order to provide a co-ordinated approach to the provision of services." The effects of domestic abuse on children can be wide reaching; it is not just physical harm to a child that can cause problems in later life. The Adoption and Children Act 2002 extended the definition of harm to include "the harm that children suffer by seeing or hearing the ill treatment of another particularly in the home".



Domestic violence can affect a child’s development; some may have problems in school, whereas others may be overachievers. It is common for children experiencing domestic violence in some form to be distressed, anxious, fearful, angry, aggressive, guilty, depressed, lack self-esteem, or blame themselves for what is happening. They may have difficulties sleeping; have eating problems, or enuresis (bedwetting). Children experiencing this violence are more likely to self-harm in later life, attempt suicide, misuse substances, or suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).



When living in an environment in which there is domestic violence, children often develop a sense of responsibility and secretiveness. They feel that they have to try to take care of their mother and younger siblings, which often means that they feel that they cannot be a child; they find it difficult to relate to peers and as a result feel isolated. In other children however, they may have a lack of respect for their mother, and instead identify more with the abuser.



Impact of Domestic Violence on Children: The Facts



• At least 750,000 children a year witness domestic violence (Department of Health, 2002)

• Children who live with domestic violence are at increased risk of behavioural problems and emotional trauma, and mental health difficulties in adult life. (Kolbo, et al., 1996; Morley and Mullender, 1994; Hester et al., 2000)

• Nearly three quarters of children on the ‘at risk’ register live in households where domestic violence occurs and 52% of child protection cases involving domestic violence. (Department of Health, 2002; Farmer and Owen, 1995)

• In 75% to 90% of incidents of domestic violence, children are in the same or the next room. (Hughes, 1992; Abrahams, 1994).

• The link between child physical abuse and domestic violence is high, with estimates ranging between 30% to 66% depending upon the study (Hester et al, 2000; Edleson, 1999; Humphreys & Thiara, 2002)

• 70% of children living in UK refuges have been abused by their father. (Bowker et al., 1998)

• A survey of 130 abused parents found that 76% of the 148 children ordered by the courts to have contact with their estranged parent were said to have been abused during visits: 10% were sexually abused; 15% were physically assaulted; 26% were abducted or involved in an abduction attempt: 36% were neglected during contact, and 62% suffered emotional harm. Most of these children were under the age of 5 (Radford, Sayer & AMICA, 1999.) Information received from local Family Court Welfare Services suggests that domestic violence is present in almost 50% of cases, where a welfare report is ordered. (Association of Chief Officers of Probation, 1999)

• 29 children in 13 families were killed between 1994 and 2004 as a result of contact arrangements in England and Wales, 10 of them since 2002. In five of these families contact was ordered by the court. (Saunders, 2004)

• In the year 2001, there were 55,743 applications for contact orders under the Children Act 1989. Of those, only 713 (1.3%) were refused. (Lord Chancellor’s Department, 2002).





This article has been put together by the distance learning organisation Start Learning who are experts in home study. If you want to find out more about Understanding Safeguarding Children or many other distance learning courses please browse their website: Start Learning



A good way to find out more about safeguarding children is to sign up for a distance learning course on the subject. By studying in your free time and pace, you can gain the necessary knowledge while tailoring it to suit your schedule.



Kerrana McAvoy

Academic Director – Start Learning

Start Learning