Children Witnessing Domestic Violence

1. Children Witnessing Domestic Violence HED 487B Emily Groben

2. Susan Still • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB3FVun7K2k • Disturbed? • 8 year old son was forced to watch • 13 year old son was forced to video tape it • Husband would make her stand in front of him for hours • Abuse physical, emotional and verbal • Imagine being those children

3. Facts, Facts… • Domestic violence includes the following: - Intimidation - Isolation - Minimizing, denying and blaming - Guilt - Using male privilege - Controlling her economic rights - Threats - Hitting, punching, shouting

4. …And More Facts! • 30% of US marriages are considered physically aggressive • Women 95% of victims • Men 5% of victims

5. Who • 3.3 million US children witness domestic violence each year • 275 million in the world • Boys more “externalized behaviors” • Girls more “internalized behaviors” • Child neglect to include children witnessing domestic violence in some states • Boys see father

6. Where (US): • Occurs more often in ____ areas • Not as common in ____ areas • Population has a lot to do with it • Or, as reported?

7. Where (Europe): • Teen Abuse Survey of Great Britain: - 1/3 of teenage girls experienced or witnessed at home - Did not consider it to be domestic violence - 43% of teenagers thought it was acceptable

8. Where (Middle East): • Spousal abuse widely accepted • Children not as emotionally effected • Victims of all ages and more likely to be in ___ areas and ___ educated • Children of those families more likely to continue the pattern • Rape legalized in Afghanistan -essential for the woman to submit to the man's sexual desire

9. Where: Philippines • Study conducted revealed that half of all young people reported witnessing domestic violence • 1 in 10 male adolescents and 1 in 5 female adolescents wished they were dead • Suicide common • Depressive symptoms included headaches, poor digestion, worry, loneliness, trouble sleeping, and thoughts of suicide

10. What Behavioral, Social, and Emotional Problems • Higher levels of aggression, anger, hostility • Rebellious behavior and disobedience

11. What Cognitive and Attitudinal Problems • Lower cognitive functioning • Poor school performance • Lack of conflict resolution skills • Pro-violence attitudes • Belief in rigid gender stereotypes and male privilege

12. What Long-Term Effects • Higher levels of adult depression and trauma symptoms • Increased tolerance for violence in adult relationships, OR, abnormally high anti-violence attitudes • Frequent nightmares • Fear of relationships • Poor trust issues • Victims themselves

13. When: • Younger children: higher levels of anxiety after an event • Don’t understand • Adolescents: depression symptoms • Don’t like to see their parent a victim

14. Sources: • http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec22/ch253/ch253b.html • http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/domesticviolence.cfm • http://svc185.wic08v.server-web.com/GetInvolved-subs.asp?GettInvolvedID=39 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?tv=YB3FVun7K2k • http://vaw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/14/1/53 • http://news.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news-3/Depressive-symptoms-in-adolescents-associated-with-parental-domestic-violence-6007-1 • http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/04/200941271032198717.html