What are the long term effects on children of witnessing domestic violence?
Children who grow up observing their mothers being abused, especially by their fathers, grow up with a role model of intimate relationships in which one person uses intimidation and violence over the other person to get their way. Because children have a natural tendency to identify with strength, they may grow to ally themselves with the abuser and to lose respect for their seemingly helpless and weakened mother. Abusers typically play into this by putting the mother down in front of her children, telling them that their mother is “crazy” or “stupid” and that they don’t have to listen to her. It is no surprise that studies show an increased use of aggression and violence in children who witness it in their homes. Many studies concur that boys in particular who witness the abuse of their mothers are at greatly increased risk of using violence against their partners in teen and adult relationships.
