What about the kids?

statistics

  • 15-25% of pregnant women are battered
  • 30% of battered women are battered while pregnant
  • 50% of men who abuse their wives also abuse their children
  • 87% of children are cognizant of their mother’s victimization. Don’t assume they don’t know because they are in the other room or appear to be asleep.
  • More than 50% of kidnappings in the U.S. occur within the context of domestic violence
  • 100% of children are affected when they are exposed to violence in the home.

facts

  • Domestic violence causes more birth defects that accidents and illnesses combined
  • A mother’s fear can send convulsion-like tumors through the fetus, damaging the developing brain and nervous system
  • Simply exposing your child to violence is a form of child abuse
  • Children who witness abuse often suffer the same emotional symptoms as children who are directly abused
  • By watching abuse, boys learn violence is a way to solve problems, gain control of a situation and/or get what they want
  • By watching abuse, girls learn to expect and accept it.
  • Feelings of fear, anxiety, powerlessness, low self-esteem and the emotional/behavioral problems will not end when the abuse ends. The emotional aftermath of abuse may last a lifetime.
  • Children of abuse are at an increased risk for: alcohol abuse, drug abuse, gambling, compulsive spending, eating disorders, sleeping disorders, sexual promiscuity, running away, and suicide.
  • Domestic violence is a cycle: children who grow up in a violent home learn how to have a relationship from this model and so the stage is set for the next generation of abusers and victims.