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About Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is a problem that affects every community across the country. It crosses all races, social and economic backgrounds, cultures, religions and relationship types. Domestic Violence is not a private matter, a couple’s problem, a domestic "squabble" or a "fight." It is not a momentary loss of temper or the abuse of alcohol and drugs. Violence is a choice the abuser makes.
Domestic Violence is a deliberate pattern of abusive tactics used by one partner in an intimate relationship to obtain and maintain power and control over the other person.
Domestic violence is not an isolated instance of aggression. It is an atmosphere that is created by many forms of abuse and a cycle that increases over time in frequency and intensity.
Domestic Violence is a Crime!
Facts & Statistics
• 1 in every 2 women will be in an abusive relationship at some time during her life.
• 1 in 3 women will be battered repeatedly at some time in her life.
• 2.1 million women are severely assaulted every year.
• Every nine seconds a woman is battered by someone who says he loves her.
Impact of Domestic Violence on Children
Over 3 million children are at risk of exposure to domestic violence each year. Children who witness abuse of their maternal caretaker are:
- 24 times more likely to commit sexual assault crimes.
- 50% more likely to abuse drugs and/or alcohol.
- 74% more likely to commit crimes against another person.
- 6 times more likely to commit suicide.
The Link Between Child Abuse and Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is the leading indicator for child abuse in the home; the two issues are inextricably linked. Children are always abused when one of their caretakers is abused….the trauma of living in a violent home cannot be underestimated. It is rate that abuse of a parent occurs without children knowing, even if children do not see the abuse in person or are "asleep" when it happens.
- Children living in homes where domestic violence is occurring are physically or sexually abused or seriously neglected at a rate 1500% higher than the national average.
- Nearly half of men who abuse their female partners also abuse their children.
- Nationally, 75% of battered women say that their children are also battered.
- Eight times as many women report using physical discipline on their children while with their batterer than when living alone or in a non-battering relationship.
The Affects
The range of problems among children who witness parental violence includes psychosomatic disorders, such as stuttering, anxiety, fear, sleep disruption, and school problems. Children older than five or six have a tendency to identify with the aggressor and lose respect for the victim. 75% of boys who witness parental abuse have demonstrable behavioral problems. The effects go beyond the home and don't end as a child ages. A comparison of delinquent and non-delinquent youth found that a history of family violence or abuse was the most significant difference between the two groups. Abused children are arrested by the police four times more often than non-abused children.
Those who see and hear violence in the home suffer physically and emotionally. Domestic violence has a devastating effect on children of all ages. There are certain behaviors that appear when children are affected by domestic violence:
Effects of domestic violence on infants:
- Continual fussing and crying
- Sleep disturbances (lack of restful sleep or sleeping so much that they have to be awakened to eat)
- Being easily irritated
- Being easily startled
- Lethargy, or lack of energy
- Inability to be comforted
Effects of domestic violence on toddlers and pre-schoolers:
- Inability to be comforted
- Difficulty going to bed
- Frequent nightmares
- General sadness
- General meanness toward other children and
- Slow motor responses and movements
- Not knowing how or when to play
- Age-inappropriate inability to separate from parents
- Speech difficulties
- Cursing
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