Long Term Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Adolescents

This literature review explores the long term effects of domestic violence on children and adolescents. It discusses the prevalence of domestic violence in the UK, the impact on children's well-being, and ways to protect children from domestic violence. The research methodology includes qualitative research and thematic analysis. The study emphasizes the importance of addressing domestic violence and providing support to children and families affected by it.

Social work: Literature review Dissertation

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Research aim and objectives.......................................................................................................1
Literature review.........................................................................................................................1
Research methodology................................................................................................................5
Ethical issues or considerations..................................................................................................6
Resources....................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

Topic: To investigate the long term effects of domestic violence with regards to the children
and adolescents.
Research aim and objectives
Aim: To identify the long term effects of domestic violence on children and adolescents.
Objectives:
 To determine the issues faced by children from domestic violence.
 To examine the impact of domestic violence on children well-being.
 To identify the ways and methods to protect children from domestic violence.
Literature review
Theme 1: Domestic violence in UK
In view of Callaghan and et.al., (2018), it has been reviewed that domestic violence refers
to the threatening behaviour, abuse or a violence between family members and the intimate
partners. Such kind of abuses might take several forms that involves sexual violence, physical
violence, abusive behaviour, threats, economic restrictions and controlling behaviour. Domestic
violence is been used for describing any of the incident or the pattern of the incidents of
threatening and the controlling behaviour the persons over the 16 years of age.
Domestic violence is indicated as the common global phenomenon where men as well as
the women experiences severe mental and physical violence. The prevalence of the domestic
violence among the children is seen as higher that in general population. Chronic mental and the
physical health problems are counted as common of the domestic violence along with many of
the domestic violence survivors who are reporting it as the psychological abuse instead of the
physical violence that contains the major long lasting effects on the wellbeing of the children. In
comparison with the non-abused children, those people who have experienced a domestic
violence contains a higher level of incidence in relation to chronic pain, gastrointestinal disorders
and heart disease.
Jouriles and McDonald (2015), highlighted that in recognition of an importance of the
education in the past 10-15 years, training of domestic violence has been incorporated into
curricula of the major schools of medical and programmes of post graduate in UK. It has been
widely seen that the children who are living with the domestic violence are facing a greater risk
relating to experiencing neglect, sexual and physical abuse. For instance- In UK, NSPCC study
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founded that the young people are experiencing mainly family violence in tern of the domestic
violence and in middle range of 2.9 and 4.4 times experiencing physical violence.
Similarly, it has been identified that children's risk regarding abusing was seen as 3 to the
9 times greater than in their homes where the parent fought with each other. At the basic level,
living in the emotionally violent and the charged household depicted a negative implication on
mental and emotional health of the children in both terms longer and immediate. Coexistence of
the domestic violence and the child abuse could be accounted in large number of the ways.
Firstly, violent adults might often does not discriminate between the family members. Secondly,
the adult victims might not able to meet emotional, supervisory and the physical requirements of
children resulting as poor health and physical injury. Thirdly, children might get injured at the
time of the assault being carried on. There are some evidence in relation to the issue that
biological fathers has been founded as more likely than the social fathers for expressing the
concern about an effect of domestic violent behaviour on their respective children.
Theme 2: Effect of domestic violence on the wellbeing of children
According to Kelly and Westmorland (2016), major robust evidence of an effect of
domestic violence on the psychological outcomes for the children comes from the meta-analysis
of various studies. It has showed a significantly poorer results on the 21 developmental and the
behavioural dimensions for major of children exposed to the domestic violence as compared to
the children who does not have exposed towards such abuse.
In opinion of Van der Kolk (2017), it is seen that the growing recognition of a heightened
risk relating to domestic violence to the children in context of verbal conflict between the
parents. Children who are living their life with suffering domestic violence have significantly
comprises frequent emotional and the behavioural problems. The children's who are not been
physically abused displays a highest level of the emotional and the behavioural disturbances. It is
essential to recognise that an individual children might react in several ways to violence towards
which they are been exposed. Some of the children might externalise their confusion and the
feelings through an aggressive and the anti-social behaviour. However, others might internalise
behaviours resulting from high level of the anxiety and depression. It has also indicated from the
research that effect of the domestic violence on the boys as well as the girls is similar referring to
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internalising behaviour, however, boys seems to be more likely for displaying an externalising
behaviour.
As per Laing (2017), it has not reflected that age of the child makes an important
difference in relation whether they gets highly affected or very less affected by their domestic
violence exposure, although ways within which they get affected might differ. For instance-
babies who are living with the domestic violence appears as subjected to high level of the ill
health, excessive screaming, poor sleeping habits with disrupted patterns of attachments.
Children of the pre-school age tended to the age group that shows an effect of disruption in their
respective lives through an under performance at the school with poorly developed networks,
running away, self-harm and engaging in the anti-social behaviour.
According to Katz (2015) violence put a negative impact on the children to great extent.
It is observed that in many family’s atmosphere is not good and in such kind of environment they
remain in fear. For example, in number of family’s father is too strict and due to this reason
children fear from them to great extent. This fear factor to large extent affect children wellbeing
as they find themselves less expressive towards parents. Due to hard nature father become too
violent on children’s even they make small mistake. There is other scenario also where it is
observed that father and mother thinking does not match to each other and due to this reason
clashes happened between them and uncongenial environment get developed. Such kind of
situation put a very high negative impact on the children and again they become start living in
fear. Both situations which are pressure of father on children or parent’s clashes lead to high
pressure on children’s. It is observed that children brain give due importance to small incidents
and same remain in their brain for entire life. Tense situation make children’s nervous and very
serious. In same condition many time children become of introvert or extrovert personality.
Means that either children will remain with his thoughts within home and feel less able to mix up
with people. This inhibit their personality development. On other hand, many time children in
order to avoid home clashes prefer to stay outside of home. In such kind of situation, they adopt
wrong approach in life and involved in illegal activity. Thus, family violence heavily affects
children brain.
Contrary to this Albuquerque and et.al., (2015) state that violence always does not
negatively affect children and adults. This is because there may be violence at home but it does
not mean that everyday such kind of environment prevalent at home. If there is negative
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environment then positive environment is also observed at home. Both situations affect children
and adults brain. So, if one account for violence at home for children brain and behaviour then
they must also account good environment that is observed at home and its impact on adult’s
brain. Many parents remain strict with the children so that remain on right path in their life. It is
observed that many children have bad behaviour like not listening others and carelessly acting
towards received order. In such situation parents believed that becoming violent will bring their
children on track and due to this reason, they act hardly with the children. Although there is
negative impact of such kind of violent behaviour on children but this does not mean that parents
start giving relaxation to the children. Parents need to follow both strict and lovable approach
towards their children so that pressure of violence remain in certain limit and they can more
freely talk to the parents.
Theme 3: Ways to protect the children from the domestic violence
Grasso and et.al., (2016), suggested that an increase understanding of the processes which
underpin the protective and the risk factors in the children exposing to the domestic violence.
Risk factors tends to heighten a probability and the longer term while resilience factors leads to
increase likelihood that the children will be resisting or recovering from their exposures towards
the adversities. There are various measures that has been taken for protecting the child against
domestic violence introduced by the government or the council for the sake of the society and
ensuring safety of the children. A child who is living with the domestic violence could avail
benefit from group and an individual for helping them in making understand the situation that
actually happened to the children and their respective families in order to overcome negative
effect of the living with an abuse and in moving forwards within their lives. Such type of work
could raise an awareness about an issue for helping the children in learning their strategies for
the purpose of keeping them in a safe environment and in ensuring they does not feel isolated.
Involving the child's mother in a work has been founded as very much helpful.
Moreover, there present a strong evidence for showing that the families and their children
could get better support from the professionals, who had been undertaking training programmes
in respect to the domestic violence, that is underpinned by the clear protocols between the
agencies set out with their respective responsibilities and role. For example- training provided to
the police officers could both dispel the myth about seriousness and the nature of the domestic
violence and also better equipping the officers in responding carefully and effectively. Schools
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plays a key role in determining the children who might be facing domestic violence and
facilitating them with a safe place for the purpose of providing them full support so that they do
not feel lonely in any situation. Similarly, the health professionals who are been working in
looking towards the mental health of the adults are been well placed for asking them sensitively
regarding the domestic violence and in identifying the children who might currently been
exposed to the domestic violence or is living with a legacy.
Thus, there are large number of the children present in the UK are suffering and living
with the domestic violence, an experience is often seen as traumatic and circumstances in both
longer and immediate term are crucial for majority of the children. Professionals who are
working in the criminal justice corporations should always intervene a suspect that the child is
been exposed to the domestic violence (Domestic violence on children, 2017). This involves a
wide range of the measures that should be taken by them that involves developing clear
procedures within an enterprise in order to safeguard child on the basis child's need, capacity of
their parents in providing with such needs and analysing any kind of environmental or the family
related factor that impacts on home situation. Proper agreed inter-agency process must be made
for working along with child, victim and perpetrator of an abuse. The provision of the
therapeutic services in terms of providing support to adult and the child victim. Response which
aims at working with the perpetrators for getting them in taking responsibility for behaviour and
its impact on others. Different services that are been tailored towards particular needs of the
perpetrators on the basis of their ability in engaging and showing willingness to cope up with the
change.
Research methodology
 Research type: In order to assess long term effects on children and adolescents pertaining
to domestic violence qualitative research will be used over others. Moreover, as per this,
underlying thoughts and opinions will be analysed by employing qualitative approach.
 Research approach: In research, there are mainly two approach which research can use
namely inductive and deductive. Hence, for addressing qualitative aspects or issues
effectually inductive approach will be applied.
 Research philosophy: It can be distinguished into two such as positivism and
interpretivism which researcher can select. In this, for analysing effect of domestic
violence on concerned authorities in long run interpretivism philosophy will be
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undertaken. This philosophy highly suits to the qualitative investigation type and thereby
helps in presenting suitable solution of the issue.
 Data collection: In research, data can be gathered from both primary and secondary
sources. In this, data will be gathered by the researcher only through secondary sources
such as books, journals and scholarly articles. Hence, by gathering scholarly articles
related to domestic violence and its association with children as well as adolescents
research issue will be investigated.
 Data analysis: Thematic perception technique will be applied by the researcher for
analysing the extent to which domestic violence has an impact on children and
adolescents. Hence, referring objectives different themes will be prepared by the
researcher and thereby address research objectives.
Ethical issues or considerations
In order to comply with ethical aspects reference list will be added in the report. This in
turn exhibits that data is not copied from somewhere else. Along with this, data will be taken
from authentic and copyright protected sources for complying with ethical aspects. \
Resources
There are several resources which in turn require for carry out research effectually includes
both monetary and non-monetary. Hence, researcher needs scholarly articles related to the topic,
laptop, funds etc.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Albuquerque, L.M. and et.al., 2015. Nursing Terminology defi nes domestic violence against
children and adolescents. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem. 68(3). pp.393-400.
Callaghan, J. E. and et.al., 2018. Beyond “witnessing”: Children’s experiences of coercive
control in domestic violence and abuse. Journal of interpersonal violence. 33(10). pp.1551-
1581.
Grasso, D. J. and et.al., 2016. Harsh parenting as a potential mediator of the association between
intimate partner violence and child disruptive behavior in families with young
children. Journal of interpersonal violence. 31(11). pp.2102-2126.
Jouriles, E. N. and McDonald, R., 2015. Intimate partner violence, coercive control, and child
adjustment problems. Journal of interpersonal violence. 30(3). pp.459-474.
Katz, E., 2015. Domestic violence, children's agency and mother–child relationships: Towards a
more advanced model. Children & Society. 29(1). pp.69-79.
Kelly, L. and Westmorland, N., 2016. Naming and defining ‘domestic violence’: Lessons from
research with violent men. Feminist review. 112(1). pp.113-127.
Laing, L., 2017. Secondary victimization: Domestic violence survivors navigating the family law
system. Violence against women. 23(11). pp.1314-1335.
Van der Kolk, B. A., 2017. This issue: child abuse & victimization. Psychiatric Annals. 35(5).
pp.374-378.
Online
Domestic violence on children. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/17369087/Research_review_impact_of_
domestic_violence_on_children.pdf>
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