Kathy Bosch, Ph.D., Extension Educator
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension
Overwhelming research evidence indicates an overlap between child maltreatment and domestic violence. This overlap may be substantial, whether approached from the view of the child or that of the mother. Drawing on a national survey of more than 6,000 American families, Straus and Gelles found that half of men who frequently abuse their wives also frequently abuse their children. The more severe and frequent the violence against the woman, the more likely the children are also being abused. Children need not be the direct target of a father's abuse in order to get hurt. Blows directed at a mother may land on children, and children may be harmed when trying to intervene or protect a parent. Similarly, a mother may endure attacks from her partner in an effort to deflect his attention from the children. There are, of course, some cases where a mother abuses her children.
In addition to experiencing abuse themselves, simply witnessing the abuse is detrimental to children. Children may hear screams, crying, degrading language, or objects being thrown and broken. Children may witness the aftermath of an abusive incident, including blood, bruises, torn clothes, broken glass, broken objects, a police officer, and possibly an arrest. Most children can sense the tension in the home and are quite aware of the mother's fear and terror when the abuser enters a room. Studies on the effect of children witnessing abuse are few, but there is evidence that children sustain behavioral, emotional, and cognitive problems. Children who are abused and witness their mother's abuse tend to have the most varied and intense symptoms. A woman cannot control the abuser's behavior or end the abuse without support from family, friends and a formal network, such as advocates for women, social services, counseling, medical assistance, or trained religious leaders. If you or someone you know is being abused, please call the Nebraska Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Coalition (NDVSAC) at Toll free crisis line
1-800-876-6238. Nebraska has 22 local domestic violence sexual assault programs for information, shelter, support, and assistance to women and their children. Outside Nebraska, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (voice) or 1-800-787-3224 (TDD). You may also tap in to the Web site http://www.ndvsac.org for more information.
Call to action:
Do you know any one who is living with an abusive partner? If so, is there a way you can share information with the person about partner abuse? Are there children living in the home? If so, can you share this information with the abused person and encourage them to seek outside intervention? If you suspect child abuse, you must call 911 or make a report to your local H.H.S office.
