Effects of Domestic Violence on Children: Cycle of Violence

 

Introduction
Domestic violence involves systematic patterns of abuse whether physical, psychological, sexual, emotional, financial, or technological geared toward maintaining control over the victim. This form of violence has long-term negative impacts on its victims, especially children due to the associated psychological implications. Children have not developed the mental capabilities to process and deal with domestic violence and thus its effects could shape their lives later in adulthood. According to Hillis et al. (2016), the available statistics show that over 1 billion children aged between two and seventeen experience at least one form of domestic violence annually.


The rate at which children become victims of domestic violence is high; hence, the need for addressing this issue. One major concern with domestic violence on children is what Wright et al. (2019) refer to as the “cycle of violence” whereby abused children are likely to become abusers themselves and as this cycle continues, the society becomes an unsafe place for children to grow up. This paper reviews the available literature on the cycle of violence caused by domestic violence on children as supported by the learning cycle theory.

Domestic Violence and the Cycle of Violence
Children who witness or are victims of domestic violence suffer significant psychological damage with long-lasting effects. This form of violence negatively affects both the current and future relationships, which is worrying given that domestic violence among children is a global epidemic. According to the available literature, children who witness or become victims of domestic violence have poorer psychological outcomes later in life as compared to those who do not have such experiences (Tsavoussis et al., 2014). Domestic violence on children affects their developmental process, especially psychologically, which explains why the effects of such abuse could be felt even in adulthood.

Domestic Violence and Child Development
The psychological development of a child is subject to the surrounding environment, which acts as a central shaping aspect of all aspects of life. The effects of domestic violence on children could even start before birth due to the psychological distress that a mother experiences through domestic abuse. Howell et al. (2016) argue that a mother’s “level of distress during pregnancy affects parental warmth, caregiving and the development of healthy attachment patterns” (p. 45).

However, the effects of such psychological distress on unborn children do not abate after birth. The continued abuse of a mother affects how she relates with her children especially the attachment aspect of it. A study involving 72 mothers and their infants (15 months old) showed that children born to victims of intimate partner violence had an insecure attachment to their mothers (Levendosky et al., 2011). Such children are likely to internalize such behaviors as normal and grow into violent adults.

In most cases, children look up to their parents or caregivers for basic needs, safety, and role modeling. Therefore, when children witness abuse perpetrated toward their parents, they internalize such information as normal, and this aspect has long-term implications. By the time children attain school-going age, they can know what is happening around them and make sense of it. According to Howell et al. (2016), at this age, when children experience or witness domestic violence, they could easily suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and thus they face various challenges in developing and maintaining relationships, which significantly increases the chances of having maladaptive peer relations.

Consequently, the affected children are likely to have constant conflicts with friends, which could easily lead to being isolated and living a lonely life. A study by Lloyd (2018) showed a strong correlation between witnessing or experiencing domestic violence and bullying and victimization. In other words, the process of connecting with other children and initiating healthy relationships is hindered leading to victimization and bullying in some cases.