THIS PATTERN GOES ON AND ON…
More than 3 million children witness acts of domestic violence every year in their homes. Violence is a learned behavior, and many children who witness abuse grow up to repeat the behavior as spouses and parents. A child’s exposure to abuse is the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next. These children may suffer severe emotional trauma from what they see and hear in their homes, and are frequently victims of the abuse as well.
- Little boys who grow up in homes where domestic violence is occurring are 11 times more likely to become abusers than boys who come from violence-free homes.
- 81% of men who batter had fathers who abused their mothers.
- 63% of young men between the ages of 11- 20, who are serving time for homicide have killed their mother’s abuser.
- Violent juvenile delinquents are four times more likely than other youths to come from homes in which their fathers battered their mothers.
- Children who experience violence at home often turn this violence out in the community. A high percentage of juvenile delinquents are battered children. 80% of men in prisons grew up in violent homes.
- Often, teenagers from violent homes turn to drugs and or alcohol for release and comfort. Many escape into early and poor marriages and or pregnancies.
- Adolescents are at risk of academic failure, and dropping out of school.
Children who grow up in abusive homes learn not to speak, or trust. They often lack the ability to express feelings normally. Coping mechanisms are greatly impaired. They grow up learning that abuse and violence are normal.
