Domestic violence is termed as a behavior or pattern of behaviors occurring between intimate partners where one partner gets to exert control over the other. Emotional abuse, sexual abuse, psychological threats, and physical abuse typically fall under domestic violence. This behavior is not only evidently seen between partners but also among children. Growing up in an environment filled with anxiety and tension, and constantly dominated by fear can have a negative influence on children’s mental and physical health. Living under the heavy influence of domestic violence can cause them to become victims of child abuse. Instead of living in a safe and nurturing environment, they incessantly have to live with fear residing in their young hearts. This fear often puts a negative impact on their overall personality and turns them into weak-hearted individuals. Domestic violence can affect children in many undesirable ways. The impact of domestic violence on children has been negative time and again. Let us understand how children can get negatively influenced by it.

Signs of Aggressive Behavior

Children exposed to domestic violence can show various patterns of aggression in their behavior. They become hyperactive over any issue and show signs of sheer anger, thus overreacting even in simplest situations. They act rude towards their parents and often show disobedience.

Poor Concentration

Children experiencing the threat of domestic violence poorly concentrate in many significant aspects of their life. Whether it is about academics or extracurricular activities, lack of concentration in these areas can put a negative influence on their lives. They hardly concentrate on their education, thus putting their future at a great risk.

Sleep Problems

Living in an environment dominated by domestic violence can make children suffer from psychological and emotional trauma.  As a result, they are prone to sleep problems. They often end up seeing nightmares in their sleep which indicates how negatively impactful domestic violence can be for them. Lack of sleep impairs their ability to focus on several integral activities from their daily life.

Low Self-Esteem

Domestic violence may render low self-esteem issues in children. Self-esteem and domestic violence go side by side. The domestic violence offenders can easily prey on children with low self-esteem, realizing that the victim will need them no matter what they do or how they behave. The children start losing confidence in their individuality and allow offenders to treat them however they please. This way they lose their vulnerability, dignity and respect.

Emotional Detachment

Children prone to domestic violence become emotionally detached. They are drained out of emotions that are meant to make them content and vivacious. They show no signs towards happiness and are emotionally disconnected from the one who enforces domestic violence on them. If the domestic violence offender happens to be either of their parent, children try to stay away from them as much as possible, thus becoming emotionally detached.

Pessimistic Outlook

While growing up in an abusive environment, children are forced to worry about their future. They live with the fear of getting attacked again. They keep predicting when it would happen next and then come up with schemes to protect themselves and their siblings. They become hopeless and lose confidence. They come to believe that all intimate relationships involve violence and problems. Therefore, they make themselves resistant to close relationships. Such attitude makes them have a pessimistic outlook towards the future.  

Physical Symptoms

Domestic violence on children may lead to showing physical signs and symptoms in them. The physical assault may also lead to specific injury types such as bruises, cuts, fractures etc. 

With this article, we have not only been able to highlight the most talked about issue such as domestic violence but also its strong impact on children. Domestic violence, in whatsoever form, has a negative impact on children and must be avoided and stopped at all times.