To What Extent Does Domestic Violence Effect Our Children
Today, I would like to share with you, something that has recently become an interest of mine: The Effect of Domestic Violence on Children. When we think of violence we think of physical abuse and verbal abuse, but we neglect emotional and mental abuse. When we see our youth on streets we think of them as “bad kids.” Have you ever thought why they’re there?
According to Victoria’s police chief, “Canada needs to recognize the devastating impact of domestic violence on children by making it an added criminal offence to commit an assault in the presence of a child.” The impact of any sort of violence, commonly, domestic violence, influences children of all ages to accept the fact that violence is okay. With this mindset they become aggressive or on the contrary- depressed. Parents can only do so much to hopefully put a stop to it, but in reality they are usually first in starting it.
With compelling research, it is noted that children who have witnessed violence and abuse, grow up to become abusers themselves until they receive the help they need, noted Chief Jamie Graham. But here comes the question; why must children have to witness violence in the first place? Children phenomenally respond to environments where sometimes the response is with them forever. For example, if you eat unhealthy, chances are your child will be eating unhealthy. Or if you smoke cigarettes it’s highly likely that your child will take up second hand smoking. For some parents we need to consider the effects of violence on children, and for the others we need to consider the cure from witnessing violence.
According to Children’s Justice Act Task Force Child Neglect Study, table 7 compares stress factors by abuse type. In other words this table shows the percent of victims who have been faced with maltreatment, neglected and the solution they turn to or must face due to their individual circumstance. As we can see drug and alcohol abuse has the highest percentage and on the chart we also see the suffering of mental illness. From this data and previously stated statistics, we can see how our children and youth are impacted with violence no matter how big or small the situation is.
Based on the information from Statistics Canada, Family violence accounted for 26% of all police-reported violent crime in 2011, in which an additional 18% of victims were children of the accused. Why are children always the ones targeted? As a parent or guardian can you not see what is happening to your child? Physically children may seem okay, but mentally and emotionally, they are seeking for help. And they think that help comes from alcohol and drug usage, skipping classes, bullying and becoming abusers themselves and no one can see that they want help because physically on the outside they look fine. Let us all do our best to put an end to violence for the sake of healthy lives for our children.
Thank You
I am walking down to the river in my white sweatpants and a grey oversize pullover, with my long, straight, black hair blowing in my face. I am sitting watching the sun rise higher into the sky; the sky that is baby blue, with clouds still sleeping, covering the sun but leaving gaps for it to shine its orange rays and make its reflection. The air is cold as if it were winter season, though it is only the beginning of fall. I get up and start walking down the river. I hear soft sounds so I turn, it was just a rabbit. I continue walking through the shaved grass, listening to the birds waking up their little ones, leaves rustling and the wind still blowing its cold air, but slowly. I find a comfortable spot and sit. Peace is what I feel and calm is how my body feels. I hear footsteps but I don’t turn because they sound familiar. He holds my shoulders and sits beside me with his arm still around my shoulder. Its quiet so all you can hear is the rapid, soft flow of the river but the harmonious sound of the water when it hits the banks. We talk and laugh, and blend our voices with the voices of nature. I don’t want this to end. I get up and tie my hair into a loose ponytail, then walk over to the banks and dip my feet into the freezing cold water, almost numbing my toes. I close my eyes and picture me floating away in the river. Chills run up my spine. All together in unison, the birds stop chirping and the rabbits disappeared. The wind stopped blowing but it needlessly got colder. I took that as an indication or warning, as if to say that there is something bad with the water, yet it felt too good.