Domestic violence against mothers has a negative impact on children and adolescents growing up in these families. Even if they are not themselves beaten, these children live in an atmosphere of fear that shapes their later responses to violence.
When arguments, threats, fear, and beatings dominate everyday life and children perceive their home as unsafe, this leaves its mark on their personality development. The immediate effects are manifold: problems at school, bedwetting, sleep disorders, headaches, tantrums, eating disorders, or delayed language development.
If children experience violence against their mother, the risk also increases that they themselves will have difficulty dealing with violence as adults. In many cases, they even behave violently toward their partners.
Abused mothers often believe their children won't notice the violence. However, the children and adolescents witness domestic violence. They grasp the situation and feel its effects. Sometimes they also experience neglect and excessive demands.
Youth welfare services in Germany increasingly assess the situation of children who experience violence in their relationships as Endangerment of the child's welfare In order to intervene in violent situations, youth welfare services must cooperate more closely with institutions that support women affected by violence. The common goal must be to better integrate the protection of women and child protection in cases of domestic violence. Children affected by violence in women's shelters and specialist counseling centers need gender- and age-specific offers for processing experiences of violence.
Learn more about our work for children and young people in the women's shelter!
Children's rights as a reference framework - Presentation by Christa Kaletsch, Makista eV, FHK-Fachforum 2020
Heynen, Susanne; Zahradnik, Frauke: Homicides within families in connection with relationship conflicts, separation, or divorce. Consequences for youth welfare services, Beltz Juventa, 1st edition 2017.
Children in women's shelters. Development and testing of services to improve the care of children in women's shelters, published by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation gGmbH, Stuttgart 2016.
Living situation, health and experiences of violence of women in Germany, Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ), Berlin 2004.
Kavemann, Prof. Dr. Barbara: Violence in intimate relationships – effects on children and adolescents – effects on the mother-child relationship, Catholic University of Applied Sciences for Social Work Berlin, Social Science Women’s Research Institute Freiburg 2017.
Kavemann, Kreyssig (ed.): Handbook of Children and Domestic Violence, 3rd edition (updated and revised) 2013.
The following federal associations are members of the Women’s Shelter Coordination Association
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