Experiencing Domestic Violence at Home

Short term effects of experiencing domestic violence at home:

Disruptions in feeding schedule

May be caught in the crossfire and injured
Failure to thrive
Frequent illness
Basic need for attachment
Developmental delays
Generalized anxiety
Sleeplessness
Nightmares
Difficulty concentrating
High activity levels
Increased aggression
Increased anxiety about being separated from a parent
Intense worry about their safety of a parent

Long term effects of experiencing domestic violence at home:

Physical health problems

Behavior problems in adolescence (e.g., juvenile delinquency, alcohol, substance

abuse)
Emotional difficulties in adulthood (e.g., depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD)

Characteristic behaviors of children who experience family violence:

Role reversal- accept responsibilities for care of younger siblings and of the
household due to the parents inability to fulfill these functions.
Aggressive behavior- at home, in school, toward other siblings, children, animals,
adults, they may turn on their parents.
Running away- older children may run away, perceiving this as their only alternative
for escaping an unbearable home situation.
Truancy- often fail to attend school.
Shy, withdrawn behavior- may not interact with others
Overly compliant, overly adaptive, passive, undemanding, avoidance of conflict,
clingy, excessive self-control, extended aggression, demanding, rueful, biting,
destroys property, temper tantrums, short attention span, lying, socially withdrawn,
timid, depressed, social wariness, inhibited, vacant stares, lack of curiosity,
excessive fantasies, poor peer relationships, fear of a particular person, excessive
fears, attempted suicide, excessive fear of punishment, feels deserving of
punishment, developmental arrest, delays in physical, cognitive, social or emotional
development, speech disorders, infantile behavior
How to respond with the child:
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Establish a good relationship with the child

Avoid embarrassing the child
Let the child know when you are available
Be open and empathetic
Validate the childs feelings
You cant promise you wont tell
Let the child know that they did not cause the violence
Teach the child to call 911
Help the child think about what they can do if it happens again like ways to cope
with traumatic situation
Activities for Responding to Childrens Lives
Molding
1. Let the child tear a paper egg carton in bits.
2. Soak paper bits in water, overnight.
3. Add a little warm water. Let child squish, squeeze, splat, mold.
4. Mixture can be saved for second or third days use, adding plastic figures or
other objects related to the childs distress.
Soothing a Pet
1. Put on soothing music.
2. Bring out a toy dog. Sit down near the affected child and start brushing the
dogs hair with a small brush.

3. Ruffle up the dogs hair. Ask it, Are you my rumpled pet? then go back to
brushing.
4. Depending on your relationship with the child, you might wait until the child asks
for a turn (shouldnt be long), or ask, Would you help me smooth my rumpled
pet?
Powell, Sandy. (2003). Whats Up? Activities for Responding to Childrens
Lives. (pp.290-291).Australia: Thompson Delmar Learning.
For further information:
http://promising.futurewithoutviolence.org/
http://www.lfcc.on.ca/teacher-us.PDF

The resources I used:

Miller, K. (1996). The Crisis Manual for Early Childhood Teachers. (pp. 163-172).
Beltsville: Gryphon House, Inc.
Effects on Children and Teens. (2015). Retrieved from CORA:
http://www.corasupport.org/about-domestic-violence/effects-on-childrenteens/
Macomb Intermediate School District. (2011, June). Retrieved from Macomb
Intermediate School District: www.misd.net
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
http://www.nctsn.org/content/children-and-domestic-violence