Domestic Violence Awareness Month: The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children

Written by Becky White, Marketing Director: THINK Program

Domestic violence is a universal issue that affects thousands of individuals, children, and families every year. Also known as intimate partner violence, domestic violence can occur between current or former spouses and significant others, as well as sexual partners. Families can also be destroyed by abusive parents or family members, leaving a lasting impact on children as they grow into adulthood. To honor October’s National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, it’s crucial to spread public awareness about the difficulties domestic violence victims experience in an effort to prevent and end the patterns of violence that devastate so many lives. 

Domestic violence cannot be defined by one behavior as it encompasses several forms of abuse, including emotional, psychological, verbal, sexual, financial, and technological abuse. These violent acts, or the threats to commit these acts, are used to establish or maintain power and control over a partner in an intimate partnership. To stay in control, abusers typically exhibit a pattern of behaviors with the intent of making their victims feel isolated, depressed, and helpless. The Power and Control Wheel is a diagram often used to better understand the cyclical nature of abuse and violence in relationships. The abusive behaviors depicted by the wheel are:

  • Coercion and threats

  • Intimidation

  • Male privilege

  • Emotional abuse

  • Economic abuse

  • Isolation

  • Using children

  • Minimizing, denying, and blaming

The cycle of abuse can trap victims in relationships and leave lasting effects on families, particularly children. According to recent reports, approximately 10% of children are exposed to domestic violence every year and about 45 million children will be exposed to violence at some point during their childhood. In many cases, domestic violence and child abuse occur simultaneously and children are at increased risks of neglect, maltreatment, and sexual, emotional, and verbal abuse. 

Cases of co-occurring domestic violence and child abuse may also increase the likelihood for children to be victims of violence later in life. Revictimization occurs when an individual is victimized more than once, and often describes repeated cases of sexual assault and abuse. Individuals who experienced domestic violence or abuse in childhood may be more vulnerable to potential sexual abusers in young adult- and adulthood. Grooming, exploitation, exposure to pornography, forced masturbation, and sexual communications via phone calls or text messages are a few acts of child sexual abuse survivors of domestic violence may experience. 

Adult survivors may also face long-term effects on their mental and emotional well-being as a result of the trauma they experienced in childhood. Teens and adults may be more likely to resort to alcohol or substance abuse and other delinquent behaviors. They may also be prone to suffer from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

While statistics show that thousands of people suffer in abusive relationships every year, and may endure the effects of their trauma for years to come, many victims break free from the patterns of violence and lead happy, healthy lives for themselves and their families. National Domestic Violence Awareness Month helps highlight the struggles that abuse victims go through, as well as the resources and services that are available to domestic violence victims and their loved ones. 

For parents who believe their child has been sexually abused or exposed to violence, there are also steps they can take to address the sensitive nature of the situation. The initial step is for parents to ask the child directly. It’s important for parents to approach the conversation thoughtfully, taking care to mind the location of the discussion and tone of voice throughout the conversation. Creating a safe environment for your child to speak plainly about an incredibly traumatizing situation can make getting the help they need easier and faster for everyone involved. Following the initial discussion, the next step is always to reach out to local support, including the police and child protective services in your area. 

Through our THINK Program, our educators teach middle and high school youth the importance of healthy relationships. Many young people today lack models of healthy relationships. A recent Child Trends survey of disadvantaged youth reported that while respondents could list general qualities for healthy relationships, they reported 'No' when asked if they saw many around them.”  More sadly, many youth said they had little confidence they would be able to achieve a healthy relationship despite their aspirations to develop one.

Our program offers young people—including young parents—knowledge of what a healthy relationship is and is not, as well as skills for handling the early chemistry of attraction and choosing partners wisely. Young people learn the building blocks of healthy relationships and are encouraged to identify relationship qualities they find personally important. They are provided several frameworks to help them assess relationships (past or present) and to make important relationship decisions. They learn the red flags of unhealthy and dangerous relationships and ways to exit those relationships safely. They identify what needs to change or improve in order for a relationship to continue. They learn how to handle break-ups and then move forward.

Below is a list of local and national organizations victims can reach out to in a time of crisis, and people can continue to support so that domestic violence survivors can get the help they need. 

Local (West Virginia):

  • Branches: Serves Cabell, Lincoln, Mason, Putnam and Wayne Counties. (304) 529-2382, 1-888-538-9838, www.branchesdvs.org

  • Family Crisis Center: Serves Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral and Pendleton Counties. (304) 788-6061, 1-800-698-1240, www.facebook.com/fcc911

  • Family Crisis Intervention Center: Serves Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt and Wood Counties. (304) 428-2333, 1-800-794-2335, www.fcichaven.org

  • Family Refuge Center: Serves Greenbrier, Monroe, and Pocahontas Counties. (304) 645-6334, 1-844-340-9101, www.familyrefugecenter.org

  • HOPE, INC.: Serves Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis and Marion Counties. (304) 367-1100.

  • Lighthouse Domestic Violence Awareness Center: Serves Brooke and Hancock Counties. (304) 797-7233. 

  • Rape And Domestic Violence Information Center: Serves Monongalia, Preston and Taylor Counties. (304) 292-5100.

  • Stop Abusive Family Environments: Serves McDowell, Mercer and Wyoming Counties. (304) 436-8117. 

  • Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center: Serves Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan Counties. (304) 262-8292, www.epecwv.org.

  • Tug Valley Recovery Shelter: Serves Logan and Mingo Counties. (304) 235-6121

  • Centers Against Violence: Serves Barbour, Braxton, Randolph, Tucker, Upshur, and Webster Counties. (304) 636-8433, www.centersagainstviolence.org.

  • Women’s Resource Center: Serves Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh and Summers Counties. (304) 255-2559, 1-888-825-7836, www.wrcwv.org.

  • YWCA Family Violence Prevention Program: Serves Marshall, Ohio and Wetzel Counties. (304) 232-2748, 1-800-698-1247, www.ywcawheeling.org.

  • YWCA Resolve Family Abuse Program: Serves Boone, Clay and Kanawha Counties. (304) 340-3549, 1-800-681-8663, www.ywcacharleston.org. 

  • WV Coalition Against Domestic Violence, http://wvcadv.org/

  • TEAM for West Virginia Children, (304) 523-9587, https://teamwv.org/

  • West Virginia Child Advocacy Network, 304-414-4455,  https://wvcan.org/


National: 

Resources:

Child Trends Research Brief. Telling It Like It Is: Teen Perspectives on Romantic Relationships. childtrends.org

awareness, dating abuse, mental health, teens, THINK, domestic violence, dating violenceRebecca Whitedomestic violence, teen violence, teens, youth, THINK, mental abuse, mental health, Mission WV