How Children Can Be Affected from Domestic Violence
If you’re the parent of a child affected by domestic violence, you know how devastating it can be to witness your child’s pain as they grow up with the effects of witnessing the violence around them. In case your spouse is constantly violating you it is better to hire a family law attorney for the betterment of your life.
Domestic Violence Effects
There are many ways that children can be affected from experiencing domestic violence, but here are five common effects that children may have from being exposed to the trauma of domestic violence every day in their own home.
1) Attachment
Attachment is often one of the first signs of trauma. When children suffer from attachment issues, they’re unable to form deep and meaningful relationships with anyone, including their caregivers.
As a result, many victims tend to feel isolated and distant from those around them—including their parents and other loved ones.
Abused children can develop intense feelings of depression or anxiety, usually as a result of feeling trapped in an abusive situation. If you notice your child suffering from attachment issues as a result of abuse at home, it may be time to seek help from a professional family law attorney.
2) Self Esteem
A study of school children published in Child Abuse and Neglect found that kids who had suffered some kind of childhood trauma had poor self-esteem.
According to research done at Penn State University, which surveyed over 2,500 adults about their experiences with domestic violence as children, 60 percent reported having feelings of depression and 50 percent said they had feelings of worthlessness.
Feelings like these can develop into something more serious like clinical depression or even suicidal thoughts. If you suspect your child has developed signs of low self-esteem or even clinical depression due to witnessing domestic violence, seek counseling ore hire a family law attorney immediately to help them get back on track for healthy emotional development.
3) Emotional Intelligence
Parents need to make sure their children are developing emotional intelligence at a young age. Emotional intelligence—our ability to identify and understand our own emotions, as well as those of others—is linked to our impulse control, judgment, behavior, stress management skills and social abilities. The more emotionally intelligent a child is, generally speaking, the better his or her ability to handle difficult situations. Parents can help improve their children’s emotional IQ by being an example of how to manage emotions effectively in difficult situations themselves.
4) Anxiety Disorders
Oftentimes, children who are exposed to domestic violence may become depressed. If their parents or another loved one is experiencing abuse, children often feel helpless because they can’t stop it from happening.
And if a child feels helplessness because of an adult issue, it could lead to depression and other mental health issues.
If you notice signs of depression in your child—like prolonged sadness or feeling hopeless—speak with a mental health professional to help your child cope with what’s going on at home.
5) Depression Due To Domestic Violence
When children witness or experience violence, it’s extremely common for them to develop depression and anxiety.
For example, a 2004 study that looked at child witnesses of domestic violence found that many experienced symptoms of depression and exhibited behaviors such as aggression and poor self-esteem. It’s also not uncommon for depressed children to have difficulties in school or have trouble forming relationships with friends or family members.
If you think your child may be experiencing some form of depression stemming from their exposure to domestic violence, you should consult a mental health professional or hire a family law attorney who can help you guide your child through their feelings.
The Final Verdict…
Children who witness or experience violence can exhibit behaviors like anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, depression, aggression, and low self-esteem.
The good news is that there are steps parents can take to both protect themselves and their children from domestic violence as well as assist the children in recovering from the effects of domestic violence exposure.
Hope this article is helpful to understand the effects of domestic violence on children and role of family law attorney!
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