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Children are Victims, Too! |  | | |
| Couples in an abusive relationship sometimes stay together “for the sake of the children.” Instead, for the sake of the children, they should get help, get out of the relationship, or both. Violence is a learned behavior. Children who grow up in violent homes learn that violence is an acceptable way to handle conflict. They learn by example that it is all right to hurt someone you love. What children do not learn is equally devastating. They don’t learn about healthy man-woman relationships, about managing their feelings, about solving problems in a positive way. |
| Domestic violence can play havoc with a child’s mental, emotional and physical development. Watching and listening to abusive parents leaves emotional scars. These include low self-esteem, mixed feelings toward parents, lack of trust, anxiety in anticipating the next outbreak of violence, guild and depression in feeling responsible for the abuse, and fear of abandonment. Children that are abused may fail to thrive physically of may have speech and hearing problems. They often suffer from stress-related illness such as headaches and stomachaches. |
| Children in violent homes may be aggressive or extremely passive. Girls often assume a maternal role in caring for the other children. A boy may take on the role of the father as the mother becomes more dependent on him. Children often experience problems in school (failing grades, truancy, dropping out). There is a higher rate of juvenile delinquency and substance abuse among these youngsters. Teenagers often escape violent homes into early marriages or pregnancies. |
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