How Witnessing Domestic Violence Affects Children

For victims of domestic violence—the physical attacks, emotional maltreatment, and other abuse endured are certain to take a toll on their well-being. However, while the horrors of abuse are apparent in primary victims, such abuse also has serious effects on children who witness it.

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, between three and 10 million children and teens witness domestic violence each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence, as abuse or aggression that occurs in romantic relationships. It can include physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, and psychological aggression.

Witnessing domestic violence has both short-term and long-term effects on children. That’s why it’s so essential to protect kids from domestic violence and teach them about healthy relationship patterns and personal boundaries. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, focus on seeking help and exploring ways to leave this toxic situation safely.

Short-Term Effects of Witnessing Domestic Violence as a Child

As an all-too-common occurrence across the country, domestic violence is an uncomfortable feature of many American homes. The National Domestic Violence Hotline says that intimate partner violence affects more than 12 million people each year, a number that widens when silent victims, like children, are considered.

The effects of domestic abuse on children may be apparent within a short period of time, while other damages may be noticed in the long run. Some of the immediate effects that children experience after witnessing domestic violence are discussed below.

Anxiety

Children are likely to remain on edge if they are always surrounded by the abuse of one parent by the other. These children will live under the constant threat of the next time physical or verbal assault might take place in their home. This can breed a state of perpetual anxiety.

School-aged children can develop anti-social traits and may struggle with guilt over the abuse witnessed. These children typically take on the blame for the abuse their parent deals with, a belief that can strongly bruise their self-esteem.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

One of the most devastating effects of domestic violence is its ability to cause post-traumatic stress disorder in children who are raised around it.

Despite being spared from physical abuse, the trauma of domestic violence is enough to cause dangerous changes in the developing brains of children. These changes may cause nightmares, changes in sleep patterns, anger, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and children may sometimes have the ability to re-enact aspects of the traumatizing abuse observed.

Physical Challenges

Mental health strains are a common result of witnessing the abuse of a parent. However, these consequences may sometimes be apparent in their physical well-being. School-aged children may report headaches and stomach pains, which are traceable to the tense situation back home.

Aggressive Behavior

When teenagers witness domestic abuse, they tend to act out in reaction to the situation . They may fight, skip school, engage in risky sexual activities, or dabble in drugs and alcohol. These teenagers are also very likely to get in trouble with the law.

Physical Abuse

In many instances, children who live in abusive households are also likely to fall victim to this treatment themselves. An abusive partner can very easily become an abusive parent or guardian—physically, verbally, and emotionally harming their children.

Long-Term Effects of Witnessing Domestic Violence as a Child

As helpful as distance might be, simply moving away from domestic violence isn’t enough to undo the damage caused by witnessing it.

Children that grew up watching a parent experience abuse are likely to deal with effects that last well into adulthood. Some of the long-term effects that children experience after witnessing domestic violence are addressed below.

Depression

The anxious child raised in a toxic, abusive environment may grow to become a depressed adult. The trauma of routinely witnessing domestic violence places children at a high risk of developing depression, sadness, concentration issues, and other symptoms of depression into adulthood.

Health Problems

A poor diet or environmental risks may not always be the primary causes of conditions like heart disease, obesity, and diabetes in adulthood.

Repeating Abusive Patterns

Feeling the pain and anguish of witnessing violence doesn’t always guarantee that children will toe a different path. In some cases, early exposure to abuse simply sets the stage for children to walk that same line in adulthood.

In these cases, male children might physically abuse their partners after watching their fathers do the same. Likewise, women from homes that witness domestic violence are more likely to be sexually assaulted by their partners in adulthood. 

Protecting Children from Domestic Abuse

Knowing that domestic violence can have lasting effects on the physical, mental, and later life of children—it’s important to properly shield them from abuse. The following are ways to protect a child from domestic abuse.

Make Safety a Priority

One of the best ways to protect the interest and well-being of a child is for victims to receive the necessary support they need to leave the abusive environment.

Teach Children Healthy Relationship Dynamics

With a skewed view of romantic dynamics, talking to children about healthier interactions between partners can help to manage the damage caused by witnessing domestic violence.

Children should be taught healthy ways to resolve disputes in friendships. It’s important that they learn wholesome ways that partners can relate with each other, taking care to share why violence has no place in relationships.

Educating Children About Boundaries

An effective way to manage the damage, and prevent a cycle of domestic violence is to teach children healthy boundaries.

Takeaways

Domestic violence has the potential to leave lasting marks on direct and indirect victims. With psychological challenges like anxiety and depression likely to develop from domestic violence—receiving appropriate care from a mental health professional can help to manage these effects in children. Therapy can also help with navigating the emotional strain and trauma of living in a toxic environment.