The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children

The advantage of having a wide circle of friends is that you’re exposed to a variety of experiences, and that is how I found myself watching a little-known foreign language film that dealt with the subject of rivalry between two schoolboys, with the stories of their families also weaved into the screenplay. It was heart-warming to say the least, because it was a no-nonsense, no-frills movie that dealt with two themes that are essential to the happiness of every child and every family – there must be healthy competition between children for them to bring out their best, and the relationship between both parents and the general environment at home plays a large role in determining how children perform in other aspects of their lives.

Domestic violence has now become such a regular part of many American households that it does not seem like something that is significant enough to be discussed in relevance to the well-being of children. Parents fight with each other and hurl abuses without realizing the detrimental effect that it could have on the mental psyche of their children. When children are constantly exposed to the sights and sounds of their parents arguing, they tend to:

•Misbehave: Some children become more aggressive when they see their parents fighting or arguing and misbehave at school and in other arenas too. It’s their way of seeking attention and crying out for help, but they are often misunderstood and punished.

•Withdraw into a shell: Others withdraw into a shell that no one seems to be able to penetrate; they become recluses and shut themselves up with no social contact. And a few of them even take to drugs and alcohol as a way to relieve the misery they feel because of the state of their parents’ marriage.

•Perform badly at school: Even the brightest children start performing badly at school when their parents fight and the atmosphere at home is not peaceful. They’re either affected mentally or not able to concentrate on their homework and studying at home because of all the noise and confusion resulting from the fights.

•Lose confidence: Most kids from broken or abusive homes lose confidence in themselves and generally give up without even trying at their studies or other aspects like sports. They grow up to be either aggressive or pushovers – in short, they’re not normal.

Parents must realize that they need to do what’s best for their children instead of thinking about themselves. If there is constant strife at home, they could seek counseling or seek the help of relatives and friends to decide how best to move forward so that the kids are not affected more than they already are.

By-line: This guest post is contributed by Brooklyn White, who writes on the topic of Forensic Science Technician Programs. She can be reached at brookwhite26@mail.com.

NOTE BY VIDAL GUZMÁN: I want to thank Brooklyn White for her contribution to our blog. Her post is a brief but comprehensive summary of the effects that domestic violence has in our children. If any other of my readers wants to contribute with an article to this blog, please feel free to do so. Send me the article, I will review it, and if I believe that it fits in our concept, I will surely publish it.

There are several reasons to publish this post in our blog. First, the father’s rights movement in no way denies the social problem that domestic violence represents. Second, domestic violence is problem that affects both genders, not only women. Finally, the way that the state deals with domestic violence is one of the biggest roadblocks that our movement has encountered.