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Lauryn Smith

Mrs. Kenly

British Literature

8 April 2019

How does Child Abuse and Domestic Violence affect the victims?

Have you ever been in a store and a child was running about, screaming loud, or even crying

raucously for no apparent reason? Chances are you have, but it’s not always just because the child is

crying about a piece of candy or toy that he/she may want or perhaps some trinket--- the child could

likely be a victim of domestic violence. However, despite the fact that many people believe that the

majority of children that are abused, tend to become abusers themselves is not true. This assumption

is a stereotype that most people deem to be true. Considering that the people that make these

assumptions don’t normally think in-depth about the topic, often times, the adults that have been

victims to CDV actually turn out to be great parents.

As you can guess, Child Domestic Violence ( also known as CDV) exceedingly impacts the

human brain. It affects the child’s mental health profundity, to start, the child’s psychological

portion in the brain isn’t fully developed but the child can still become traumatized, this was

reflected in the “Little Albert” experiment conducted by John B. Watson, in the experiment, little

Albert was conditioned to fear the white rat and associated the rat with the loud sound. Seeing how

children can be easily manipulated and frightened, it’s quite facile to stun a child’s growth and fears

can effortlessly be created. The child’s mental health can be at risk due to stress, depression, and

anxiety. However not just their mental health is at risk, also their physical health. Due to the stress
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and other circumstances, the child can age prematurely. Statistics show that often times due to the

abuse children are about 40% more likely to age quicker. This, of course, is not factoring in the food

products that contain Genetically Modified Food (GMO). Some child can even end up with

deformities of their extremities, such as legs, hands, arms, and even feet which can cause a multitude

of problems. Some that not will not only affect their present but also their future. Not to mention that

when these children are being abused, usually it is by someone older than them, the abuser(s) could

be their parents, teachers, siblings or other family members. This often times cause distrust and low

confidence/ self-esteem. Child Domestic Violence ( CDV) also shapes the way that children interact

with others, which of course can lead to severe consequences. These consequences can create an

abundance of problems such as children doing reckless and dangerous things like shooting up a

school, robbing banks and other serious crimes.

It is a well-known fact that Child Domestic Violence is dangerous. Some people may ask,

“What are the warning signs of Child Domestic Violence?” There are a good amount of examples of

warning signs that you should watch out for. One of the main signs would be that, the child is more

aggressive than other children of his/her own age, this could be a sign of bullying, normally the child

has problems at home and when he/she gets around children their age, they tend to project their

anger and frustrations out on the other children. The child could seem to be calm one minute and the

next completely opposite, chaotic, and disrespectful. The difference between anger issues and CDV

would have to be distinguished by observing the child in a neutral environment. Another sign would

be child neglect, (which is a type of abuse) the child is denied basic survival needs as” health care,

supervision, clothing, nutrition, housing as well as their physical, emotional, social, educational and

safety needs.” Some examples of this would be, clothes are ill-fitting, filthy, or inappropriate for the

weather, hygiene is consistently bad ( unbathed, matted, and unwashed hair, noticeable body odor),
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untreated illnesses and physical injuries. Other examples would include, frequently unsupervised or

left alone or allowed to play in unsafe environments and also frequently late or missing from school.

There are different types of abuse that are often portrayed in society, for example, sexual abuse,

physical abuse, and emotional abuse. Sexual abuse is rape or exposing the child to a sexual

environment. Some warning signs would be trouble walking or sitting, displays knowledge of sexual

acts inappropriate to their age, or even seductive behavior, also makes strong efforts to avoid a

specific person, without an obvious reason, or doesn’t want to change in front of others or participate

in physical activities. The last sign would be an STD or pregnancy, especially under the age of 14.

Not all abuse is noticeable, but there are some that are quite noticeable and easier to detect. Which

brings me into the next type of abuse, Physical Abuse. Physical abuse is hitting, beating, kicking,

and also stabbing ( pretty much anything that can leave a physical scar). Some warning signs of

physical abuse would be; Frequent injuries or unexplained bruises, welts, cuts, the child is always

watchful and “on alert,” as if waiting for something bad to happen, injuries appear to have a pattern

such as marks from a hand or belt, shies away from touch, flinches at sudden movements, or seems

afraid to go home, and last but not least wears inappropriate clothing to cover up injuries, such as

long-sleeved shirts on hot days. The other abuse that is related to this scenario would be Emotional

Abuse. Warning Signs of Emotional Abuse would be Excessively withdrawn, fearful, or anxious

about doing something wrong, shows extremes in behavior ( extremely compliant, demanding,

passive, aggressive”. A couple more signs include, “doesn’t seem to be attached to the parent or

caregiver, and acts either inappropriately adult ( taking care of other children) or inappropriately

infantile (thumb-sucking, throwing tantrums). These are well thought out signs that have proven to

be true. Whether or not the person is in danger is out of the question because the main point of these

warnings is to help you detect people in need who are suffering and help them get help, whether it
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be things such as having someone to talk to, a shoulder to lean on or even an outlet to let your stress

free and regain calmness and confidence back into their lives. Two examples of how people who

were victims of Child Domestic Violence interact with people who weren’t would be the lack of

communication and trust issues. ( amongst a few others that aren’t mentioned) Due to the fact that it

can be hat due identified as something that stemmed from emotional and/or mental abuse, the victim

is likely to have personality disorders. Meaning that the person could have multiple personalities or

could be bipolar. Of course, these disorders affect the body in more than one way and can cause

different problems ( depending on which disorder a victim may have). Additionally, some of the

victims are known to have severe cases that prove that they can suffer just as much as a military

soldier who have experienced traumatic events and now has to be under supervision.

Child Neglect is one of the most attention-attracting signs that people often realize next to

physical abuse. Children that have big clothes, and are frequently late/ missing from school is

actually more common than it seems, an example would be my everyday experience at school, some

children end up missing close to a week or more just because they were “sick” or they had family

issues. Now, when the person comes back to school with scars ( physical), including emotional and

mental ones, it is very noticeable. Some children attempt to hide their scars but in reality, they would

need someone to talk to or someone that can help them. Continuing on the subject of child neglect,

hygiene is another concern. Some children come to school not knowing the odor that comes from

their body and pays no mind, personal hygiene is something that ought to be well kept. However,

some people do not have the luxuries of hot water and toothpaste and other items needed for

personal hygiene. Even though there are shelters and charity events that give out such items for free,

sometimes finances are tight and if a child comes to school musty then other children will bully a
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said child. This can make things more difficult for the child on top of what may be happening at

home.

If a child is under age 13 then they should not be left alone at home by themselves for more

then ten minutes maximum. So many things could happen within those ten minutes, however, most

of the time it cannot be helped if the child’s parents are working hard to provide for their child and

cannot afford to hire a babysitter or take the child an afterschool program. Especially with the way

that the economy is today, sometimes food stamps don’t always work out.

In conclusion, Children that are victims of Domestic Violence have it tough, especially with

there being different types of abuse, emotional, physical, mental, and sexual. “ Studies show that 3-4

million children between the ages of 3-17 are at risk of exposure to domestic violence each year.

U.S. government statistics say that 95% of domestic violence cases involve women victims of male

partners.” This being a fact, not biased at all, a clear objective, states that simply saying that this is

indeed an issue that should be solved, however, this is not just in the United States, this is

international. A lot of victims have been hurt, physically, mentally, emotionally, and sexually. Some

children have even died in their own homes simply because of abuse. At the end of the day,

everyone should know the danger that victims of CDV are facing, they need to be able to speak their

truths, their stories, give them somewhere where they will not have to deal with this abuse, and also

try to make sure that no other child has to go through being abused by anyone, whether it be their

caregiver, mother, father, or even relative. Children should not have to deal with this at their ages,

they should be loved and cared for, not mistreated and destroy.

Abuse isn’t limited to just children, abuse is a cycle that is continuously evolving, usually,

the abusee becomes the abuser in the cycle at some point and time. The children of abusers have a

high risk of becoming abusers at some point. A lot of sources states that men are most likely to
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become abusers in the future simply because of the way that society upholds them, men first, women

second. In a lot of countries, the women are overlooked and are taken for granted, they don’t have

some of the same rights as we women here in the United States do. Most women cannot drive, walk

on the street or work without a male figure. These views are slowly changing, however, the wars on

domestic violence continue to rage on. According to one of my sources’ the people that are most

likely at risk are, “Young women, low-income women, and some minorities are disproportionately

victims of domestic violence and rape. Women ages 20-24 are at greatest risk of nonfatal domestic

violence8, and women age 24 and under suffer from the highest rates of rape.9 The Justice

Department estimates that one in five women will experience rape or attempted rape during their

college years and that less than five percent of these rapes will be reported.10 Income is also a

factor: the poorer the household, the higher the rate of domestic violence — with women in the

lowest income category experiencing more than six times the rate of nonfatal intimate partner

violence as compared to women in the highest income category.11 When we consider race, we see

that African-American women face higher rates of domestic violence than white women, and

American-Indian women are victimized at a rate more than double that of women of other races.12”

Seeing how the black woman is the most disrespected being in America, this fact isn’t shocking at

all. If the woman is a single mother, sometimes that also has a role to play as to whom the abuser

chooses as a victim, or if the father was abusive, then they look for people that a similar to said

person. If the person being abused is a mother that sometimes instead of calling the man out on

whatever he did or calling the police to help, the woman may stick it out and stay for the “good” of

her children. This will make it harder for her to leave, seeing how the man could bribe the woman to

keep the “accident” quiet or threaten her with her children and either taking them away from the

mother or harming the children. These cases are heard of and even though they are sad ( as every
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domestic violence case is) they are prominent. According to one of my sources, “Domestic violence

can be defined as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain

or maintain power and control over an intimate partner

According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control,

● women experience about 4.8 million intimate partner-related physical assaults and rapes

every year. Less than 20 percent of battered women sought medical treatment following an

injury.”

● The term “intimate partner violence” includes the following acts as inflicted or caused by a

current or former intimate partner:

● Actual or threats of physical violence

● Actual or threats of sexual violence

● Emotional or psychological abuse (e.g., name-calling or putdowns, threats to “out” a person’s

sexual orientation to family, work or friends)

● Stalking (e.g., excessive calls/texts/emails, monitoring daily activities, using technology to

track a person’s location)

● Financial abuse (e.g., withholding money, ruining credit, stopping a partner from getting or

keeping a job)

● Threats to “out” a person’s sexual orientation to family, work or friends

The effects that abuse can have on the children are greater than what people may think,

According to the Family Violence Prevention Fund,seeing a father and mother abusing or being

abused by one or the other cause issues such as,” ‘growing up in a violent home may be a terrifying

and traumatic experience that can affect every aspect of a child’s life, growth and development. . . .

children who have been exposed to family violence suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress
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disorder, such as bed-wetting or nightmares, and were at greater risk than their peers of having

allergies, asthma, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, and flu.’ In addition, women who experience

physical abuse as children are at a greater risk of victimization as adults, and men have a far greater

(more than double) likelihood of perpetrating abuse.”

National Domestic Violence Statistics

● 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner

in their lifetime. (CDC, 2017)

● 1 in 10 women in the United States will be raped by an intimate partner in her lifetime.

(CDC, 2010)

● Approximately 16.9% of women and 8.0% of men will experience sexual violence other than

rape by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime. (CDC, 2010)

● Data on sexual violence against men may be underreported.

● An estimated 9.7% of women and 2.3% of men have been stalked by an intimate partner

during their lifetime. (CDC, 2017)

● Nearly half of all women and men in the United States will experience psychological

aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime. (CDC, 2017)

● Over half of female and male victims of rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an

intimate partner experienced some form of intimate partner violence for the first time before

25 years of age. (CDC, 2010)

Last but not least, the men, although it’s not something that advocated a lot on social media

platforms or talked about much in society, men can also be the victims of abuse. Seeing how a

person can be abused in many different ways, financial and emotional are just a few of the most

prominent ways that men are being abused. Of course, men can be abused in other ways such as
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physically and mentally, if the abuser knows something about the man that can harm his life or lively

hood than he may be threatened to stay with the abuser. Seeing how abuse has no specific gender

and the victim can be either a man, woman or even same gender. Some of the signs of relationship

abuse would include:

● Calls you names

● Insults you or puts you down

● Prevents you from going to work or school

● Stops you from seeing family members or friends

● Tries to control how you spend money, where you go or what you wear

● Acts jealous or possessive or constantly accuses you of being unfaithful

● Gets angry when drinking alcohol or using drugs

● Threatens you with violence or a weapon

● Hits, kicks, shoves, slaps, chokes or otherwise hurts you, your children or your pets

● Forces you to have sex or engage in sexual acts against your will

These were just a few signs that one of my sources provided. If your significant other

attempts to make it difficult or impossible for you to sp0end time with your family and friends and

try to make it so they can control your life and how you live, what you do, and even how you think,

it’s abuse. Your significant other should love you for who you are, they shouldn’t want to change

you. These changes could lead up to violence if not put to an end quickly. Many people believe that

if a person is married and they are sleep or drunk, and their significant other has intercourse with

them, it does not count as rape ( this is often an assumption with men, some women or other men

may take advantage of the man). This assumption is not true, just because a person is married to

someone or have been in a relationship for years, doesn’t mean that their opinion shouldn’t be
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respected. Men most of the time, if they’re being blackmailed, they won’t say anything out of fear

for how people will look at them, and they tend to think that they must uphold a reputation. People

tend to think that men usually want sex and if a woman ( or another man) attempts to force

him/herself onto that person, then they won’t retaliate or deny the person and will most likely just

“go with the flow”. However men aren’t sex machines, they have feelings too,

just as any other human on this earth, they can be hurt, abused, and mistreated.

In conclusion, abuse isn't loved no matter how many times someone says that it is, abuse is

abuse and if someone abuses you then reach out and tell someone so that you can receive assistance,

don’t wait until it’s too late to receive help. Seeing how the abuser normally projects their anger on

to someone weaker than them or someone who may depend on them, no one is safe, not men, nor

women, and especially not children.

Works Cited

Brown, Isobel “ Domestic Crime” Broomall, Mason Crest 1 January 2003: Ebook

Domestic Shelter, “5 Facts About Children of Domestic Violence: A violent childhood isn’t just

forgotten as children grow up” Theresa Fund Inc. 01 June 2015

Melinda Smith, M.A., Lawrence Robinson, and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. “ Child Abuse and Neglect:

Mayo Clinic Staff “ Domestic Violence Against Men: Know the Signs” Mayo Foundation for

Medical Education and Research (MFMER) 2019

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Johnson, Michael P., Ph.D “ Domestic Violence And Child Abuse: What Is the Connection--Do We

Know?” National Council on Family Relations, 2008, pp.1-10.

How to Spot the Signs and Make a Difference” https://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/child-

abuse-and-neglect.htm Article.

“10 Startling Statistics About CHildren of Domestic Violence” Child Domestic Violence

Association 21 February 2014 Web.

“Domestic Violenence: Domestic Violence Statistics and Facts” SafeHorizon 2019 Web.

https://www.safehorizon.org/get-informed/domestic-violence-statistics-facts/#statistics-and-facts/

“Violence Against Women in the United States:Statistics” National Organization for Women 2019

Web.https://now.org/resource/violence-against-women-in-the-united-states-statistic/#endref3