The Psychological Impact of Domestic Violence on a Child

When we think about stress affecting individuals, various images can come to mind such as the single mother working two jobs in order to keep food on the table, the father who just lost his job and has a mortgage along with other bills, the teen who is pressured under cultural norms and wont be true to himself, or the fulltime student who is working part time in order to pay his/her college tuition. We can all agree that all the individuals mentioned above would probably be dealing with stress and have a reason to, but what about an infant? How about a child from those cheery, colorful, bright preschools? â€Å"Impossible† you say. Is â€Å"not likely† running through your head, or â€Å"Doubt it† at the back of your mind? Let’s bring some life†¦show more content†¦Even if the parent is no longer in the home, they will still be reminded of their things. My sister-in-law was in an abusive relationship. Even after she kicked her spouse out her children refused to go into her room; the room in which he used to hit her. She had to relocate because she refused to have her kids scare of their own home. There is nothing fine for a child to live in the constant state of fear. Their heart beat increases and if this continues for prolonged periods of time the child’s physiological state changes permanently (Compas, 394). For example, let say Timmy first gets scared when he sees domestic violence happening; his body will react by increasing his heart rate, then decreasing when he feels safe, but every time he gets scared it will get higher and higher, until his body enters a hyper vigilance state usually found in military and police officers. Individuals who have pushed their bodies to be in a hyper vigilance level are not only affecting physically, but socially as well. If they are constantly watching their surroundings, and on alert, they can never truly be comfortable with others. My brother is a Correction Officer, and has been for a couple years now. He has mentioned that he can no longer go places that are in high populations; like malls or concerts. He is always on ale rt because he is used to be in alert for so long he can’t just turn it off. The worst part is the individuals who fit a certain profile put him on higherShow MoreRelatedEffects of Domestic Violence on Children1124 Words   |  5 PagesThe biggest victims of domestic violence are the littlest. The home is a suppose to be a safe and secure environment for children with loving parents and free from violence. Children need a secure environment where they can come home to when the outside world is unsafe. However, every year there are millions of children who’s homes are not a safe haven. Millions of children are exposed to a parent being violently assaulted. Domestic violence is a prevalent social issue in America today. 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