Table of contents:
- Gender-based violence and children: how it affects children
- Consequences of gender violence in children
- How gender violence affects children
- Impact of gender violence on children
- Children of women victims of gender violence
- Relationship between domestic violence and aggressive role: risk factors
The social effects of gender-based violence are often better understood when we look at the effects of such violence on children. Children need healthy role models. Inappropriate role models negatively affect them in the present and future. Children who witness gender-based violence in their home are more likely to be violent and acquire this role in their adulthood than those who have not witnessed such situations.
Men who physically assault women are more likely to assault their children either physically or psychologically, their need for power and control over family members often prevents or blocks the proper or healthy development of their children. In this Psychology-Online article, we tell you how gender violence affects children.
You may also be interested in: The impact of gender violence on the economic policies of the welfare state Index- Gender-based violence and children: how it affects children
- Consequences of gender violence in children
- Impact of gender violence on children
- Relationship between domestic violence and aggressive role: risk factors
Gender-based violence and children: how it affects children
When there is gender-based violence, children are affected in different ways, they witness certain events in their home, either as direct and indirect witnesses of violent behavior:
- Being assaulted by the person who assaults your mother or by both
- Being accidentally assaulted in an attempt to intervene
- Witnessing violence and suffering psychological effects
- Receiving negligent treatment due to domestic violence and its effects
Consequences of gender violence in children
Research has shown that the insecurity and stress experienced by children who experience gender-based violence not only has immediate consequences, but also interferes with the child's development in the long term.
Witnessing any type of gender-based violence at home is very stressful for children who are also deprived of their fundamental needs for safety and comfort and grow up in an atmosphere of fear. For example, children feel unprotected, responsible or guilty, they may even want to interfere in an episode and be hurt. When violence is very constant, the consequences can be very traumatic.
Witnessing or experiencing violence has various effects on boys and girls. These experiences can affect the emotional, physical or cognitive development of the child and in the case of chronic violence, very constant or with very young children, the damages can be very traumatic. Some research has found that between 50% and 70% of children exposed to gender-based violence have post-traumatic stress disorder.
How gender violence affects children
Depending on the age of the child, symptoms can include sleep disturbances, loss of concentration, depressive symptoms, enuresis, problems in school, developmental delay, eating disorders, self-injurious behaviors, as well as drug and alcohol use.
The reactions of children who experience violence and their strategies to overcome the trauma depend, among other things, on the intensity and frequency of the violence. Some children may be very frightened or angry and aggressive. Sometimes older children show a degree of responsibility and try to protect their mother and younger brother.
Some research that has focused on gender differences has shown that girls may be more likely to feel guilty about violence, while boys feel a greater sense of threat.
Studies indicate that children who have witnessed gender-based violence are more aggressive and fearful and tend to have more anxiety, depression and other trauma-related symptoms compared to children who have not witnessed violence.
Impact of gender violence on children
Children who grow up in houses where there is violence may feel responsible for the violence, presenting feelings of guilt because they think that sometimes the violent episodes have occurred because of them and they have not been able to stop them. In addition, they can live with constant high levels of anxiety, are on alert for another episode of violence or for fear of being abandoned. Additionally, they may feel guilty or confused for loving the perpetrator of the violence.
Children can be accidentally injured in incidents of gender-based violence and older children can be injured by trying to protect their mother. One study indicated that the more serious the gender-based violence, the more likely it is that the older child will try to defend his mother. In some cases, children can be used as spies or manipulators of the victims, they become a tool for the abusive parent. This places children in a very difficult situation with negative effects.
Babies are also affected by gender-based violence when the violence takes place during the woman's pregnancy.
In the future, they may be at increased risk for alcohol or drug use, experience cognitive problems or symptoms related to stress, and difficulties in their studies.
Children of women victims of gender violence
The effects of having witnessed this violence seem to diminish over time, as the violence ends and they no longer witness these episodes, but in some cases they continue throughout adulthood with symptoms of depression, anxiety and trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Some studies indicate that children who have witnessed domestic violence in adulthood may be at greater risk of being perpetrators of violence. Research also shows a correlation between child abuse and gender violence.
Relationship between domestic violence and aggressive role: risk factors
Once we know how gender violence affects children, it is important to talk about the studies of the impact it has on these children when they reach adulthood:
- One study indicates that frequent violence in childhood either at home or at school is associated with an increased risk of perpetration of violence as an adult.
- Men who report being bullied at school by their peers are more likely to physically or sexually abuse their partner in adulthood. Therefore, bullying can be a risk factor.
- In addition, having suffered sexual or physical abuse in childhood, exposure to domestic violence at home and participation in crime with or without violence are also other possible risk factors. Although some studies indicate that the strongest predictor is bullying.
Currently, more studies are needed to discern the mechanisms and roots of the causes of violent behavior as power and control, as means to prevent the perpetration of violence at different moments of life. While it is true that the consequences of family violence on children continue to be studied, there is still a long way to go.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to How gender violence affects children, we recommend that you enter our category of Intimate partner violence.
References- Patró Hernández, R., & Limiñana Gras, RM (2005). Victims of family violence: Psychological consequences in children of battered women. Annals of Psychology , 21 (1).
- Alcántara, MV, López-Soler, C., Castro, M., & López, JJ (2013). Psychological alterations in minors exposed to gender violence: prevalence and gender and age differences. Annals of Psychology , 29 (3), 741-747.