April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect and encourage individuals and communities to support children and families.
How does domestic violence affect children?
Domestic violence often includes child abuse. Children may be victimized and threatened as a way of punishing and controlling the adult victim of domestic violence. Or they may be injured unintentionally when acts of violence occur in their presence. Often episodes of domestic violence expand to include attacks on children. However, even when children are not directly attacked, they can experience serious emotional damage as a result of living in a violent household. Children living in this environment come to believe that this behavior is acceptable.
The estimated overlap between domestic violence and child physical or sexual abuse ranges from 30 to 50 percent. Some shelters report that the first reason many battered women give for fleeing the home is that the perpetrator was also attacking the children. Victims report multiple concerns about the effects of spousal abuse on children.
Click here for a fact sheet about the connection between domestic violence and child abuse.
Prevent Child Abuse Indiana is dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect, and is committed to making Indiana a better, safer place for Indiana’s most precious resources – our children. With strong support of active councils throughout the state, we work together to:
- Increase awareness of the problem and inform communities about solutions.
- Serve as a valuable resource for families, individuals and organizations.
- Advocate for expanded and improved programs and policies to prevent child abuse.
- Foster a statewide network committed to child abuse prevention.
Please report all child abuse and neglect by calling 1-800-800-5556.
Resources:
Caring for Kids: What Parents Need to Know about Sexual Abuse (2009) (PDF)
Provides information on supporting children who have been abused. Includes resources for parents and teens about acquaintance rape, and tools to help youth reduce their risk for abuse. An accompanying presentation (Caring for Kids: What Parents Need to Know about Sexual Abuse—An NCTSN Webinar) is also available through NCTSN’s Learning Center for Child and Adolescent Trauma.
Child Physical Abuse Fact Sheet (2009) (PDF)
Explains the prevalence and consequences of child physical abuse; offers guidance on how to recognize and help children who are being physically abused.
Physical Punishment: What Parents Should Know (2009) (PDF)
Provides facts on the negative impact of physical punishment and effective alternatives to physically disciplining children.
Raising Well-Behaved Kids: What Parents Should Know (2009) (PDF)
Offers positive, proven techniques for changing problem behaviors in children, and for setting the tone for a peaceful and happy home.
Child Sexual Abuse Fact Sheet for Parents, Teachers, and Other Caregivers (2007) (PDF)
Debunks some common myths about child sexual abuse, provides suggestions for how to respond to abuse disclosure, and offers tips to help protect children from sexual abuse.
Questions & Answers About Child Physical Abuse (2008) (PDF)
