Domestic Violence

The effects on New Zealand

Children
What is Domestic Violence and
how does this affect our children.
 Domestic Violence isn‟t just about hitting
it also covers..

 Physical Abuse:
◦ Hitting, punching, kicking, cornering or standing over you, poking, shoving,
burning, spitting on you, pulling hair, holding you down or restraining you.

 Financial abuse:
◦ He or she may withhold money, take your income, threaten to take your
belongings and house. Forcing a child to live in poverty.

 Sexual abuse:
◦ Forcing you or your children to have sexual relations. Or inappropriate
touching or exposure

What is Domestic Violence and

how does this affect our children.
 I have highlighted this
issue as children may be
indirectly affected by
psychological violence
 It is the most common
reason women seek help,
and has been described
as the worst type of
violence, as it is insidious.
 A child may witness or
experience these issues.
 Threatening behaviour,
stalking, hurting animals,
smashing things, hearing
their mum being called
fat, lazy, crazy.

Psychological Violence
  Blame‟s you, criticises
you and puts you down,
 Makes excuses, denies
the abuse, tells you
what you should or
should not wear,
 Makes you live in fear,
lets the children
witness this behaviour,
 Threatens to call C.Y.F‟s
on you, keeps you up
all night yelling at you,
 Doesn‟t allow friends in
your life, humiliates
you in front of others.

Psychological Violence
 A child may
experience a variety
of reactions,
 70% of what children
pick up from a violent
home are non-verbal
interactions.
 Body language,
tension, even no
communication is all
absorbed by a child.

How the child’s Health and

Wellbeing may be affected.
 Health, Developmental and
Emotional problems develop.

 Physically “Brain development

can be negatively affected,
and research has linked abuse
with a range of poor health
outcomes.”(NAIC2004)

 The child may experience

physical injuries.

 Or may become involved in

self harming behaviours.

How Hauora is affected physically.

Sleep disturbances,
nightmares, anger
outbursts, bullying,
depression, over or under
achieving,
Anxiety symptoms, i.e.
headaches, tummy aches.
Chronic anxiety reduces a
child’s learning capacity.
Hiding, shaking, stuttering,
bedwetting
The child may become
withdrawn, isolate, live in
fear. The child may
experience lowered self
esteem and self worth.

How Hauora is affected

Psychologically/Spiritually.
 This wheel
represents the
Power and Control
cycle of Domestic
Violence.

Duluth Wheel of Violence

 „They may feel guilt at not
being able to protect their
parent‟.

 „They learn that to love

someone is to accept abuse
from them‟.

 „They cannot relax or feel

secure‟.

 „They learn victimised

behaviours‟.

 „They learn that abuse is

acceptable to resolve
conflict‟.

What children learn.

 “This study suggests that a
quarter of young adults
have been exposed to acts
or threats of violence
carried out by one parent
toward another parent, and
the majority found such
witnessing to be a very
upsetting experience.
Public education
programmes should
emphasise that all violence
carries risk of harm to all
family members.”
Journal of the New Zealand
Medical Association.

What can we do about it?

 Schools follow their
individual policies on
reporting abuse to C.Y.Fs

 “Keeping ourselves safe” .

A programme which
educates children and
young people in Schools,
on how to keep safe from
abuse. This project
incorporates police and
teaching staff

Http://www.police.govt.nz/service/yes/resources/violence/kos.html

Education, what can we do?

 Ministry of health
Website
http://www.moh.govt.n “If you are staying in an
z/familyviolence abusive environment,
you are
 Child Youth and Family unintentionally
http://www.cyf.govt.nz/1 abusing your child”
848.htm
 Preventing Violence in
the Home Women's Refuge 2005
http://www.preventing
violence.org.nz/index
.php?section=63

Other sources of support for

suspected Child Abuse.
 Establish a safe
person a child can
trust and talk too.
 Be aware of signs
and symptoms of
child abuse.
 Continue educating
children on abuse
and safety issues.
 Don‟t ignore the
signs.

What we can do in a school

setting.
  Definitions and Effects
 Martin, J., Langley, J. &
Millichamp, J. (2006).
Domestic Violence as
witnessed by New-
Zealand children. In
Domestic violence as
witnessed by New
Zealand
Children,119(1228).
Retrieved May 24, 2009
from
http://www.nzma.org.n
z/journal/119-
1228/1817/
of Violence (2009), J.,
Women's Refuge.
Retrieved May 24, 2009
from
http://www.womensref
uge.org.nz/index.cfm?o
bjectid=0CFAF2DD-
1321-AE99-
692D294B9306068D

References
 Keeping Ourselves  Family Violence, J.,
Safe, J., Yes Family Violence.
Resources: Violence Retrieved May 23,
Prevention. Retrieved 2009 from
May 24, 2009 from http://www.moh.govt
http://www.police.go .nz/familyviolence
vt.nz/service/yes/res
ources/violence/kos.h  Connolly, M. (2004).
tml Violence in Society.
In Violence in
Society:New Zealand
perspectives (p.20).
Christchurch: Awatea
Press.

References