Children of battered wives : the after-effects on children who witnessed the battering of their mothers by their husbands

Abstract

The study of violence on children in the family is an off-shoot of the public awareness of wife abuse that has developed during the last twenty-five. years. The assumption that-life within the family setting was both safe and secure has been thrown into doubt by those social scientists and writers. who have pointed out at and dwelt on the alarming increase in the incidence of family violence in developed countries. Before embarking on a study of the after effects on children who witnessed the battering of their mothers by their husbands, it is considered appropriate to dwell on the phenomenon of wife battering and what has brought public awareness of many social problems. It is an accepted fact that the 1960"s have been a watershed in public awareness of the social problems that had been lying hidden or dormant for many years. Violence on television, notably the brutal killings of the Vietnam War, has drew the public attention to many social problems that had long been swept under the carpet or treated as a strictly personal family matter by people who considered themselves as puritan good citizens. Violence in families is a reality that cannot be ignored. Most often, the victims are battered women and their children who observed this violence. Some children suffer permanent psychological scars from this traumatic life experience. Other children face physical injury especially when they are abused them selves or are caught in cross fire of their father's violence. A child's need to have a family environment that fosters his or her emotional, cognitive and behavioural development is contrasted with the experience of those who face extreme family conflict and disorganisation. The study which is devoted to the subject of children of battered woman, considers the devastating impact of family violence on children, the link between violence and spouse abuse on child development, children's view of violence, and strategies for intervention and prevention. Methods of assessing children and families are addressed and discussed in the chapters which follow. Reference will also be made to the problems encountered in identifying the children for the study. I shall also attempt to evaluate the services offered at the shelter of "Merħba Bik". The first chapter provides an under standing of how witnessing wife assault affects children. The scope of this study is to clarify how wife assault has an impact on children directly through the stress created for the mother. The post-traumatic stress dis order is considered as a unifying concept, and the importance of protective factors in child adjustment is outlined. Last chapter will attempt to translate this framework and empirical findings into development of assessment and intervention strategies for children of battered women.