It is important to note that children exposed to domestic violence are more at risk for other forms of maltreatment such as physical abuse and neglect. Research suggests that parents who are violent with one another are at higher risk for physically abusing their children.Recent research has proposed that the consequences of child abuse and domestic violence exposure are often similar and mimic one another. Children who are abused and exposed to domestic violence exhibit emotional, psychological, and behavioral consequences that are almost identical to one another. In fact, some researchers refers to this dual exposure as the double whammy effect because children are receive double exposure to traumatic events and thus react twofold to the abuse and exposure to domestic violence. Emotionally children who experience the double whammy effect can exhibit fear, guilt, isolation, and low self-esteem. Additional psychological outcomes for these children include depression, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Children who experience dual exposure to both physical abuse and domestic violence possess more behavioral problems than those who experience only one or the other. The long term effects of dual exposure in young children can have very negative outcomes later in life. These outcomes have been documented as leading to behavioral problems including: school dropout, violence, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, eating disorders, and even suicide attempts. A study following children from preschool through adolescence found that young children exposed to domestic violence and child abuse were more likely to experience anti-social behaviors in their adolescence. Young children exposed to both domestic violence and child abuse were also more likely to commit an assault and participate in delinquent behavior in their adolescence than those not exposed at all. Lastly, the Adverse Childhood Experiences study (ACE) found a connection between multiple categories of childhood trauma (e.g., child abuse, household dysfunction including domestic violence, and child neglect) and health/behavioral outcomes later in life. The more traumas a child was exposed to, the greater risk for disabilities, social problems and adverse health outcomes. More recently, researchers have used elements of this model to continue analysis into different aspects of trauma and stressful experiences and later development.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 14:00:00 +0000