How are children affected by witnessing the abuse of their mothers?
Witnessing the abuse of the adult they are most dependent on and love dearly, especially when it is perpetrated by the other adult on whom they are dependent and love, is a terrifying and confusing experience, particularly for very young children. The emotional responses that children have include: fear, guilt, sleep disturbances, sadness, depression, and anger (at both the abuser for the violence and at the mother for not being able to stop it). Physical responses include: stomach and/or headaches; bedwetting; and loss of ability to concentrate. Behavioral responses include: resistance to going to bed, to school or to leaving the mother; hiding or running away; delayed development of speech, motor and/or cognitive skills; increased aggression with peers or mother; becoming withdrawn; or self-injuring.
