2. Related child abuse myths & facts
Myth-1: Children in very young age will not be exposured to
witnessing violence.
vs.
Fact: Young children are earlier exposured to witnessing
violence, specially when the victim/bully is a family member.
For example, the video which named "Children see, children
do!".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JrtpCM4yMM
Myth-2: Children will easily forget the violence which they saw
in their young age.
vs.
Fact: Children do not forget what they have witnessed. Adults
hope that if the violence is not talked about, the children’s
memories of the event will disappear. However, young children
demonstrate a remarkable capacity for recalling traumatic
events.
http://www.childwitnesstoviolence.org/facts--myths.html
3. myths & facts continue...
Myth-3: Violence is an urban problem and only children
living in urban areas witness violence.
vs.
Fact: Violence is not solely an urban problem. Violence
has touched the lives of families and children across the
country: in rural areas, in the suburbs and in the inner
city. Domestic violence can occur anywhere. Child abuse
and community violence occur with more frequency in
areas where there is a high concentration of persons
with inadequate housing and income, and with high
rates of drug use.
http://www.childwitnesstoviolence.org/facts--myths.html
4. myths & facts continue...
Myth-4: Violence is a racial problem affecting primarily
Black and Hispanic children.
vs.
Fact: Violence is not a racial problem nor does it exist
primarily in minority communities. Domestic violence
occurs at similar rates across all races and cultural
groups studied. Research suggests that community
violence is a function of poverty, not race. When people
at the same income level are compared, there are few
differences among races. This finding suggests that the
context of poverty, not race, is a main risk factor for
violence
http://www.childwitnesstoviolence.org/facts--myths.html
5. The prevalence of witnessing domestic
abuse, both locally and globally
Locally:
Each year in Canada, an estimated 362,000 children
witness or experience family violence.58
Domestic violence is more common in homes with young
children than homes with older children. 59
Children who witness this violence are at immediate risk
of being physically injured. 60 Children who grow up in
violent homes are more likely to be victims of physical
abuse.
According to the RCMP, a child who witnesses spousal
violence is experiencing a form of child abuse, since
research shows that “witnessing family violence is as
harmful as experiencing it directly.”61
http://www.canadianwomen.org/facts-about-violence#LEAVE
6. The prevalence of witnessing domestic
abuse, both locally and globally
Locally:
While not all children who witness violence suffer direct
physical abuse, they frequently develop long-term
behavioural and psychological problems. 62
Exposure to violence can affect children’s brain
development and ability to learn, and lead to a wide
range of behavioural and emotional issues such as
anxiety, aggression, bullying, phobias, and insomnia. 63
Research shows that children who witness violence are
more likely to grow up to become victims or abusers.
64
Children who witness violence in the home have twice
the rate of psychiatric disorders as children from nonviolent homes. 65
http://www.canadianwomen.org/facts-about-violence#LEAVE
7. The prevalence of witnessing domestic
abuse, both locally and globally
Globally:
Clinical definitions are often broader than legal
definitions. For example, one clinical source defines
domestic violence as a pattern of assaultive and
coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual, and
psychological attacks, as well as economic
coercion, that adults or adolescents use against
their intimate partners.
https://www.futureofchildren.org/futureofchildren/publications/docs/
09_03_1.pdf
8. Signs, symptoms, and impact of the
domestic abuse
https://www.google.ca/search?
hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1440&bih=799&q=domestic
+abuse&oq=domestic+&gs_l
9. Signs and symptoms: There are many
signs and symptoms that children
witness the domestic abuse in his or her
family
Parents fight, humiliate or yell to each other most
of the time
One parent has an unpredictable temper, jealousy,
harassing phone calls, physical, sexual and
emotional abuse another parent in family
One parent treat another so badly, embarrassed in
front of the friends, family member and children
Threaten to take children away or harm them
10. Fearful talk to parents,
have low self-esteem.
Trying to run away from
home
Lost the love and respect
that once had for your
parents
Feel emotionally numb
from parents fighting,
arguing, and physical
abuse
Afraid that your abuser
parent may try to kill you
Feel that there is nowhere
to turn for help
https://www.google.ca/search?
hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=14
40&bih=799&q=domestic+abuse&oq
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/domestic_violen
ce_abuse_types_signs_causes_effects.htm
11. What is the effect of domestic abuse on
children?
Children who witness domestic abuse may develop
serious emotional, behavioral, developmental, or
academic problems.
Children from abuse homes may become depressed and
have low self-esteem.
More likely to use violence at school or in the community
in response to perceived threats
More likely to experience difficulties in school and score
lower on assessments of verbal, motor, and cognitive
skills.
More likely to become abusers in their own relationships
later in life
http://www.aaets.org/article144.htm
12. Causal Factors
Abusers
People who are alcohol or drug abuse
Daily life is full of frustration and stress
Male control of wealth and decisionmaking in the family and marital conflict
poverty and unemployment,
social isolation of the woman and male
participation in delinquent peer
associations
Male ownership of women
ideas of masculinity linked to aggression
and dominance,
Rigid gender roles,
acceptance of interpersonal violence and
acceptance of physical chastisement.
http://houseofruthinc.org/faq
https://www.google.ca/search?
q=domestic+violence&source
13. Casual Factors
Child
being abused as a child or witnessing
marital violence in the home, having an
absent or rejecting father
Having permissive parents
Exhibiting low self-esteem
Seeing or experiencing bullying by
siblings.
Showing little empathy
Caving power
Exhibiting a low tolerance for frustration
Using physical strength to intimidate.
Relating to others negatively
http://bullying.about.com/od/Bullies/a/What-AreThe-Risk-Factors-For-Becoming-A-Bully.htm
https://www.google.ca/search?
q=domestic+violence&source=lnms&tb
m=isch&sa
14. Prevention Strategies
To empower child witnesses to disclose domestic
violence and to enhance their ability to develop safe,
non-violent relationships.
To heighten the awareness among the parents of
the impact of domestic violence on their children
and to support them in developing non-violent,
nurturing relationships with their children.
To improve the current response to the needs of
child witnesses through raising the level of
knowledge and skill among human service
providers.
To encourage and facilitate the development of
community responses to the issue of children and
domestic violence
http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/issues/issues2/issues
2.html
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