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The Effects of Domestic Violence On Child Development

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The Effects of Domestic Violence On Child Development

Introduction

Domestic violence is a prevalent issue that has devastating consequences on child

development. Children who are victims of domestic violence face the risk, which can have long-

term effects on their development journey. Domestic violence is any violence in a relationship

used to maintain power among intimate partners. Acts of domestic include any physical, sexual,

emotional, economic, or psychological abuse used to influence another person in a close

relationship. According to Huecker et al. (2023), over 3 million cases of child abuse due to

domestic violence are reported to protective authorities. Domestic violence is mainly caused by

low education, substance abuse, and poverty (Radcliffe et al. (2019). Thus domestic violence

impacts children's development whereby it affects their cognitive, physical, psychological, and

social development.

Causes of Domestic Violence

A low level of education can cause domestic violence. People who lack education may be

unable to make decisions in their families, especially when their partners are more educated. In

cases where a partner is more knowledgeable and has an excellent career than their partner, they

may need to control them, thus inflicting them with physical abuse Radcliffe et al. (2019). For

instance, women with a low level of education than their partners may be housewives who may

not make any decisions since they rely on their partners economically. Also, lack of education

reduces the empowerment of women in society, thus making them more victims of domestic

violence. Lowly educated women lack the knowledge of the importance of fighting domestic

violence, and therefore they condone their abusive partners leading to more violence (Loembe,

2020). thus due to a lack of education, parents who are victims of domestic violence lack the
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knowledge of the essence of health care to children to reduce the harmful effects of domestic

violence on their children.

Excessive use of drugs increases the chances of an individual being abusive to their

partners. Also, people who use drugs heavily have an increased chance of being victims of

domestic violence. Radcliffe et al. (2019) argue that women who engage in substance abuse are

more likely to be domestic violence victims. High intake of drugs can increase the chances of a

person being aggressive, which may result in individuals being abusive to their partners.

Substance abuse can lead to disagreements and conflicts, which may result in violence. Also,

individuals who abuse substances have a higher rate of developing mental issues, which may

result in feelings of aggressiveness which later leads to abusive behavior towards their partners.

Some substances like alcohol cause people to act aggressively due to the effect alcohol has on

one’s body. Alcohol weakness is the brain function that controls various urges and impulses;

thus, individuals engaged in alcoholism tend not to control their feelings of aggressiveness

toward their partners, which results in abuse.

Poverty can lead to domestic violence. People living in poverty may have higher chances

of developing mental issues, which leads to aggressiveness, thus being abusive to their partners.

Also, due to low living standards, individuals may develop mental conditions like anxiety and

depression, which may cause them to condone abusive behaviors from their partners. Due to

poverty, intimate partners may have disagreements, leading to physical abuse. Due to a lack of

employment, some partners may have less control over their families; thus, the more dominant

partner may be more controlling, thus causing abuse. For instance, males with better careers may

put all the family assets in their name, thus causing financial abuse to their unemployed partners.

Some individuals may also limit their partners from working. Thus they have to depend on one
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finance source, which may cause an employed partner to condone domestic violence cases since

they have no other alternative to financial provision. The various causes of domestic violence

lead to detrimental consequences for children who witness domestic violence in their families.

Effects of Domestic Violence On Children's Development

Domestic violence has a significant effect on children’s cognitive development. Domestic

violence exposure to children harms children since it affects their brain development and

functioning. Parents and caregivers have an essential role in their children's learning

environment. Thus exposure to acts of domestic violence where children may experience their

parents fighting may lead to the development of stress, which is detrimental to their learning

abilities. Research reveals that exposure to acts of violence over the first five years of life in

children has a long-term effect on the development of the brain (Mueller & Tronick, 2019).

Domestic violence can reduce a child's intelligence quotient, which is harmful as it causes

premature aging and increases a child's likelihood of developing sociopathy (Child Welfare

Information Gateway, 2019).

Violence between intimate partners causes adverse effects on children's physical

development. Children exposed to domestic violence may suffer harmful effects such as injuries

whereby they may be hurt in an attempt to dissolve fights between their parents. Also, children

may develop medical conditions such as headaches, stomach pains, obesity, heart diseases, and

diabetes, which are dangerous for their well-being (Plumptre, 2021). Some children may commit

suicide, which may lead to death. Also, due to the high stress from witnessing domestic violence,

children may indulge in substance abuse which has more detrimental effects on their health.

Children exposed to domestic violence are likely to develop psychological problems.

Children may develop psychological problems such as stress, anxiety, low self-esteem,
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depression, and anger. Due to witnessing their parents or caregivers being abused, they may

develop traumas that may be difficult to heal and thus cause long-term effects that could be seen

even when they are adults (November 24 & 2018, 2018). Psychological problems such as anger

and temperament may lead to children being aggressive and bullying other children in their

environment.

Domestic violence can have a significant effect on children’s social development.

Children who live with parents who engage in domestic violence may have problems forming

relationships with their parents which are adverse as they could have less confidence and low

self-esteem (Hui & Maddern, 2021). Due to a lack of confidence, children may struggle to

socialize with their peers. Thus children may have decreased social contact with their friends and

community, leading to long-term life effects. Lack of establishing social connections is harmful

since it affects the well-being of children as they could be less happy and satisfied.

Conclusion

Low education, substance abuse, and poverty cause domestic violence. Thus, domestic

violence impacts children's development, affecting their cognitive, physical, psychological, and

social development. Domestic violence exposure to children harms children since it affects their

brain development and functioning. Children exposed to domestic violence may suffer harmful

effects such as injuries whereby they may be hurt in an attempt to dissolve fights between their

parents. Children exposed to domestic violence risk developing psychological and social

behaviors that may be identified even when they are adults. Thus it is essential to control

domestic violence to reduce its detrimental effects on children.

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References

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2019). Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and

Neglect. In Child Welfare Information Gateway (pp. 1–9). Children’s Bureau.

https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubpdfs/long_term_consequences.pdf
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Huecker, M. R., King, K. C., Jordan, G. A., & Smock, W. (2023). Domestic Violence. PubMed;

Stat Pearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499891/#:~:text=The

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Hui, M., & Maddern, R. (2021). Children’s perceptions of their parents in the context of

domestic violence: A qualitative synthesis. Child Abuse & Neglect, p. 122, 105343.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105343

Loembe, D. (2020). Association between women’s level of education and their experience of

intimate partner violence in Nigeria A cross-sectional study. https://www.diva-

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Mohd, S., Nurul, I., Abd, N., Raja, A., Raja, K., Khalid, M., Fadillah, N., Nizar, M., Rasip, K., &

Ayub, W. (2018). CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: A

CONCEPTUAL MODEL ON THE PERFORMANCE AT WORK. International

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Mueller, I., & Tronick, E. (2019). Early Life Exposure to Violence: Developmental

Consequences on Brain and Behavior. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 13(156).

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November 24, & 2018. (2018, November 25). Domestic Violence & its Impact on Children Ages

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Plumptre, E. (2021, November 17). How Witnessing Domestic Violence Affects Children.

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& Gilchrist, G. (2019). What Role Does Substance Use Play in Intimate Partner

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