Domestic Violence in Children (Essay Sample)

Domestic Violence in Children
Student’s name
Institution
Domestic Violence in Children
Introduction
A literature review is a summary of the research that has been published about a particular subject. It provides the reader with an idea about the current situation in terms of what has been done and what we need to know.
Domestic violence is a societal menace that affects everyone regardless of gender, race, religion, age, or nationality (Dewdney, 1995). It can take the form of physical, emotional, psychological, or sexual violence. Domestic violence affects everyone who experiences it either directly or indirectly and among those heavily affected are children. Despite disrupting their day-to-day living, domestic violence exposes children to a lot of emotional instability. This is so much that studies indicate that those children who experience domestic violence regularly seem to have behavioral problems. In the end, children who have grown up witnessing domestic violence learn to draw solutions to their problems through violence. This can be attributed to the fact that they assume it is socially acceptable to disregard other people.
There are many way through which children can witness domestic violence including being in the same room where the violent acts are happening. Further, they may be able to hear shouts and screams while in their bedroom, they may see marks from physical injuries on the body of the victim or they may be forced to take part in verbally abusing the victim (Vetere, 2004). The recent legislation recognizes that children who are exposed to this vice undergo considerable harm. This is especially because of the dependent nature of children on their parents who are expected to offer a shield of protection and safety. When this shield is not there anymore and the children feel unsafe in their own home, they are likely to experience many negative emotional and physical effects (Heger, & Koverola, 2003).
According to a study conducted to determine the numbers of children who witness the abuse of their mothers, three to four million children aged between 3-17 years are often at risk of being exposed to domestic violence every year (Louise E, 2004). It goes ahead to state that majority of the episodes of violence are usually against women and are perpetrated by their male partners. Children who come from violent homes are largely affected, as they are usually fearful and anxious. They usually feel unsafe all the time because they are unsure of what will trigger the next episode of violence.
Another study also reveals that children from violent homes like not saying about it by avoiding mingling with their peers. This may be attributed to the fact that they are expected to keep the family secret and not to share it with anybody. Sometimes, this is not a subject to be discussed even between siblings. Therefore, children coil in their own cocoons not even engaging in play activities with their peers. Furthermore, a large majority of children, approximately 750, 000 children from domestic homes witness three quarters of the incidences of abuse (Domiter, 2012). About half of these children have been badly hit or even bitten during these incidences. This may occur while they try to defend the helpless partner from the beatings of the perpetrator.
Moreover, children of abusive parents do not receive parental love and care as required because their mother struggle to survive while their father are too occupied trying to control everyone and everything in homes. The people who withstand the worst of this are the children who are deprived of parental love, attention, affection, and approval (Holder-Dolly & Sogren, 2004). Mostly, these children feel abandoned because of the lack of bonding between parents and children. The feelings of fear, guilt, sadness, depression, anger, and even sleep disturbance have been reported among children who witness domestic violence. Quite a good number of children who are exposed to domestic violence may experience bedwetting until their later years (Attala, et al, 1995). Moreover, many have their school attendance interfered with and this translate to poor performance in school.
Children are more likely to emulate the kind of environment they grow up in because to them, their parents are their role models. If the environment was a violent one, the children may grow up to be abusers themselves because to them that was their ideal environment. It is a natural tendency for individuals to associate with strength and it is no different for children (Ghasemi, 2009). Therefore, children will admire and associate with the abuser while they lose respect for the weak and helpless abused partner, which could be either their mother or father. Men who disrespect women could have most probably picked the disrespectful attitude towards women from their fathers who abused their mothers in their presence (Vetere, 2004).
Studies go ahead to indicate that children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. Domestic violence is the number one contributor to children running away from home. This is because of the heavy brunt they have to bear including feelings of self-blame and therefore they run away thinking their absence will make the violence subside. Juvenile delinquency and adult criminality can best be predicted by reviewing the frequency of childhood domestic violence (Sternberg, 1993).
Research has consistently shown that children living in violent homes are themselves being abused either sexually or physically by the perpetrator. It is however important to note that not all men who are abusive to women also abuse children although some do (Powell, & Murray, (n.d.). In this case, it is important to create a forum where the children can express what they feel concerning the whole violence menace facing them. Silence or living in denial does not solve the situation (Grubić, 2009).The children could be allowed to talk about it during a collective activity being undertaken or even have them draw or write what they are experiencing and how they feel. It is the duty of every parent to ensure that their children grow up in safe and protected homes. This is because every experience a child goes through will in one way or another affect their adult life and their interactions with their partners and friends. The home is the first socializing agent and therefore it is important to ensure it goes on right way (Armstrong, 1998).
Conclusion
It is the right of every child to be exposed to an environment that is safe and secure. They need to feel secure and safe in their immediate environment, often their home. Sometimes, it is wise to make a decision to leave a violent family because most often than not think that trying to keep the family unit together is best for the children while all it does is destroying them emotionally. It is important to realize that children feel more secure in a single parent home that is peaceful and safe than a two-parent home where the home is unstable and violent (Cross, 2012). Further, the government together with other partnering stakeholders should take an active step in ensuring that safety in homes is a reality for every child. Moreover, a lot of awareness needs to be raised on the impact of domestic violence on children (Melissa, 2003). It is safe to say that domestic violence against children has no place in modern society and therefore it is the responsibility of every parent to ensure that the children are well protected against domestic violence...