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Witnessing Domestic Violence

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The area in which there is probably the greatest amount of information on problems associated with witnessing violence is in the area of children’s behavioral and emotional functioning. Generally, students using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL); Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1983) and similar measures have found child witnesses of domestic violence to exhibit more aggressive and antisocial (“”internalized”” behaviors), and to show lower social competence than other children. Children from home where their mothers were being abused have shown less skill in understanding how others feel and examining situations from others’ perspective when compared to children from non-violent households. Peer relationships, autonomy, self-control, and overall competence …show more content…
Silvern, et al. (1995) found, however, that after accounting for the effects of being abused , adult reports of their childhood witnessing of interparental violence still accounted for a significant degree of their problems as children. Silvern and her colleagues caution that witnessing domestic violence may result in traumatic effects on children that distinct from the effects of child abuse.
According to the article children who witness domestic violence develop behavior and emotional problems. Consequently, the children perceive the actions of their parents as normal. Moreover, the children deem violence as a way of expressing angry. Likewise, the emotional effects may result in the children dissociating themselves from society to hide their misery. Overall, witnessing abuse can have long-lasting negative effects on children.
According to the article children who witness domestic violence develop behavior and emotional problems. Consequently, the children perceive the actions of their parents as normal. Moreover, the children deem violence as a way of expressing angry. Likewise, the emotional effects may result in the children dissociating themselves from society to hide their misery. Overall, witnessing abuse can have long-lasting negative effects on

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