Press Release
Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center is the region's leading resource to prevent abuse, protect children and heal families. This October, Dee Norton is highlighting Domestic Violence Awareness Month. While domestic violence often occurs as a pattern of controlling and coercive behavior, an initial incident of abuse is also a cause for concern. Tactics used in domestic violence can be physical, sexual, financial, verbal or emotional against a partner. For children, witnessing domestic violence is a form of child abuse.
At Dee Norton, we know that exposure to violence between adults in a child's home is harmful to children. When children witness domestic violence, they may experience emotional consequences similar to those felt when being directly abused. According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, approximately 26% of children under the age of 18 are exposed to domestic violence in their lifetime.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network notes, if a child witnesses domestic violence in the home, they may try to protect a parent who is being abused by refusing to leave the parent alone, getting in the middle of an abusive event, or drawing attention to themselves with new, disruptive behavior. Some children engage in behaviors that mirror the abusive adult and become aggressive or threatening to their nonviolent parent.
“Children are often the hidden or silent victims of domestic violence. Whether they are directly injured, or frightened witnesses,” says Beverly Hutchison, Executive Director of Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center, “we know that domestic violence is child abuse and is a public health issue, not a private family matter. If you are a parent experiencing domestic violence, there are resources and professionals in our community ready to help.”
There are steps you can take to ensure your child's wellbeing if you are experiencing domestic violence by a partner:
To report suspected Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult, call 1-888-CARE4US (1-888-227-3487)
To find more resources about child abuse for parents, children and families, visit www.deenortoncenter.org.
