Domestic Violence Wtinesses
Not many people would argue that violence in the home destroys families, individual lives, and upsets the community. When a domestic violence incident occurs, we often readily identify the obvious victim, the adult. However, we often overlook the unintended victims. Our children, silent sufferers of domestic violence, are often difficult for professionals to identify. Some of these children live in battered women's shelters and some are with mothers who are seeking legal or community based assistance in coping with family violence. Yet, these numbers account for a small fraction of the more than three million children annually estimated to witness acts of domestic violence. Other sectors of this population are "hidden" in families that are similarly affected, but do not self-identify. Complicating the identification process is the veil of secrecy that surrounds violence in families. Children may experience feelings of shame, guilt, and divided loyalties to parents, as well
Common goals in these therapeutic groups include identification of the children's feelings and emotions, talking out their emotions rather than acting out their anger and frustration, obtaining social support from other children their age, enhance self-esteem, and develop empathy for others. Intervening in the lives of victimized children before negative patterns of behavior, low self-esteem, and damaged character are established may be the only real opportunity to prevent future violence in our streets and in our homes (Widom, 1992). Children who exhibit problematic behavior may receive inappropriate treatment because professionals are unaware of the cause of their symptoms. School personnel, who spend significant time with children, may be unsure how to interpret problematic symptoms that children display. It assists the victims in understanding the dynamics of family violence such as why it occurs, and usually depending on the age and grade of the group, counselors will talk about love and sexuality. When children are brought to mental health professionals because of problem behavior, screening for the presence of family violence is not routine (Wolfe & Korsch, 1995). These group interactions provide support for children who have experienced mild distress and those with more severe behavioral problems. To respond properly to these children, personnel in schools, health, and mental health care settings must develop and implement guidelines for screening and responses if a child discloses domestic violence (Wolfe et al. Group interaction is an intervention that has been at the "top of the list" in terms of modern day child-oriented interventions. Children who are victims of or witnesses to violent crime are at an increased risk for delinquency, adult criminality, and violent behavior. as fear of repercussions, making it unlikely that they will disclose the violence to others. In cases where children have suffered severe maladjustment, systematic desensitization and family therapy have been implemented (Jaffe, Wolfe, & Wilson, 1990). In addition, they may be unable to elicit or respond to disclosures about the child's home situation.
Common topics in this essay:
Wolfe Korsch,
,
Literature Review,
Zuckerman Marans,
Academy Pediatrics,
domestic violence,
family violence,
Wolfe Wilson,
violent crime,
mental health,
support children,
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