Children will benefit from the new laws that enable their parents to access up to 10 days of paid leave if they are experiencing domestic violence. Police are now recording more than 10,000 cases of domestic violence a year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The number of children this involves as either victims or witnesses is alarming.
We live in a country where one woman is killed and many more are injured each week. While physical abuse is highlighted by the media, domestic violence also includes verbal, social, emotional, financial, spiritual, and child and elder abuse. This all has an impact on children’s ability to develop, learn and thrive. The cost of abuse to society is enormous.
While men can experience domestic violence, 86% of reported violence is perpetrated against women. The statistics are shocking, with 23% of women experiencing emotional abuse, 18% experiencing sexual violence, and 17% experiencing physical/sexual violence.
Children are the silent victims. It can be hard to recognise the signs that children have been impacted by trauma. Trauma can also be passed on within families. The impacts of trauma can be made worse by other socio-demographic factors (e.g. ethnicity, gender identity, living in remote areas, sexual orientation). These factors mean vulnerable groups are at even greater risk.
Parents in unsafe relationships who have access to support are more likely to leave at an earlier stage. This helps reduce the impact of abuse so they are better able to assist their children and continue working.
The various barriers to leaving a domestic violence situation are challenging, but a major issue is finances. Taking time off work to organise new accommodation and relocate is difficult when there are already multiple stressors for parents. By keeping a victim-survivor linked to their job, they are less likely to go back to the abusive situation due to financial strain. It also keeps them connected with their colleagues.
By removing children from abusive homes earlier, it reduces their exposure to trauma and improves their wellbeing and their ability to continue to learn. There are lifelong negative impacts associated with childhood trauma that continue into adulthood. Children who are affected are more likely to:
- suffer from chronic illnesses (heart disease, auto-immune diseases) and heightened psychological distress, substance abuse, and suicide attempts
- struggle in educational settings, impacting their education and academic outcomes
- find personal relationships difficult
- enter into abusive relationships, creating generational impacts within families
- have a lower life expectancy.
Victims are often ashamed that this is happening to their family. This creates a barrier to leaving abusive relationships. The perpetrator constantly tells the victim that they are the problem, and lies such as this continue over time until the victim eventually believes them.
The Australian Government’s new national laws make it far easier for victims of domestic violence to get the support they need in their workplace. What is needed now is community education to ensure there is a shared understanding of the benefits in supporting these families within our community. Educators have an important role to play as advocates for children and families in this area.
The impacts of domestic violence are very expensive for the community. Extra professional mental health care and therapeutic support is needed for victims and their children. The longer the exposure, the more support they will require. Also, victims of abusive relationships are more likely to have poorer productivity.
Educators and the community need to know about the nature of abuse:
- · Due to epigenetics, victims can pass trauma to family members for up to three generations.
- Spotting red flags in relationships is difficult for those who grow up in abusive households.
- Perpetrators can become abusive later in relationships, causing many victims to think the behaviour will stop.
- Victims can become perpetrators as they learn violence as a way of coping with stress.
- Perpetrators make it very difficult for victims to leave.
Domestic violence is insidious by nature. Damage to individuals and families is done behind closed doors, but the effects ripple out into the community. A united approach is required to help everyone understand that this pathology, enacted in private, costs us all.
For more information on impacts of family and domestic violence, please visit:
If this article has raised any concerns, please contact 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or 13YARN (13 92 76) for support and counselling.
Professor Navjot Bhullar (Edith Cowan University) is a research-focused Professor in Psychology specialising in wellbeing and the psychosocial and environmental influences on mental health.