GWA Domestic Abuse Awareness How Children and Young People are Affected by Domestic Abuse

Service Provision Founded in 1973 Initial focus on refuge Non Directive support Information and Support Refuge-support to women and children Follow on support to women and children Outreach support to CYP and Women Cedar Childcare Play Therapist. Accommodation Support Training and Development

How does Domestic Abuse affect Children and Young People? In groups, discuss and then write/draw inside the body how a child may feel if they are experiencing domestic abuse – physical symptoms, emotional state etc. Outside the body on the sheet of paper, write/draw how their feelings could manifest themselves e.g. at home, behaviour, at school etc.

Children and Young People Overhear Witness Experience Forced to participate Children and young people can experience domestic abuse in the following ways. Many women will go to extreme lengths to protect their children from witnessing the abuse that they are experiencing. Children are very aware of what is happening in their own home. Just as women react individually to their experiences children will as well.

Unborn babies- Premature birth, impact of maternal stress. Ways CYP are Drawn In….. Unborn babies- Premature birth, impact of maternal stress. Infants- Irritability, Poor sleep pattern, clingy, tantrums, delayed development. May be experiencing abuse. May witness and hear. Pre-school children- Physical complaints, Bed wetting, Withdrawal, Sleep problems, Fear of certain people, Aggression.

Ways CYP are drawn in…… Primary school age children- Continued physical complaints, Withdrawal, Isolation, Poor social skills, Excessive approval seeking, Bullying or being bullied, Eating disorder, Sleep problems, Regressive behaviour. Secondary school age- Substance misuse, Running away from home, Self harm, Violent thoughts/behaviours, Eating disorder, Low self esteem, Difficulty establishing healthy relationships.

Child Exploitation and On Line protection (CEOP)

Statistics 70% of children living in UK refuges have been abused by their father (Bowker et al 1998) Of young people sexually abused by parents, almost 2/3 come from families in which violence was constant or frequent (Hester 2007) 90% of children are in the same or next room during attacks on their mothers.(Hughes 92) Where domestic abuse is present in the home,40-60% of children will be directly experiencing abuse. .(Mullender & Morley 95) A third of children tried to intervene during attacks on their mothers.(Hamner 90) One in five young men considered it acceptable to force a woman to have sex is she were his wife, while a further 15% were unsure. (Edinburgh Zero Tolerance)

Children’s Experiences Feelings Anger Fear Anxiety Depression Low Self-esteem Just as women experiencing domestic abuse react in their own individual way so do children. Children may be confused by what they are witnessing. They may love their father and be confused by his behaviour. They may feel vulnerable when they see the effects of the abuse upon their mother. They may be angry that this is happening to them. They may be worried about how their mother is when they are at school. They may blame themselves for what is happening. There behaviour may become difficult, they may misbehave at school. Alternatively they may be overly compliant. They may become involved in ‘risky’ behaviour. They will react in their own individual way.

Children’s Experiences Behaviour Aggression Hostility Withdrawal Compliance Poor peer relationships Poor school performance

Physical Impact Bruising Broken bones Burns or stab wounds Death Tiredness and sleep disturbance Generally poor health Eating difficulties Self harm Gynaecological problems

Psychological Impact Fear, panic, guilt and anxiety. Depression/Poor mental health Introversion or withdrawal Suicidal thoughts Running away Anger, aggressive behaviour Loss of self confidence Assumes a parental role Hyperactivity Tension Low self esteem Suicide Eating disorders Difficulty in making and sustaining friendships Truancy and other school difficulties.

Roles taken by CYP Caretaker Mother’s confidante Perfect child Referee Scapegoat Abuser’s confidante Abuser’s helper

The effects of DA on children can vary depending on: How old they are. The levels of violence. The length of time that the abuse has been happening. Whether they were directly abused. The extent to which they have witnessed violence. How much support they are getting from other people.

Effects to CYP For some children, the negative effects lessen once the child is safe and secure. Other children may only start to show negative effects once they feel safe. It is important to acknowledge that removal from an abuser doesn’t automatically mean safety for a child. If court contact is ordered with the man who has been violent in the past. There have been cases where women and children have been abused or killed during contact visits. There have been occasions where this has happened when contact has been ordered by the courts.

Children can often express their feelings through art.

Children’s Experiences Children who live with domestic abuse are at increased risk of behavioural problems, emotional trauma and mental health difficulties in adult life. (Hester et al 2000 and 2007). Childrens responses to the trauma of witnessing DA may vary according to a multitude of factors including, age, race, sex and stage of development. Some children can be very resilient and not exhibit negative effects.

Listen Louder DVD

Structure of Support for CYP Help children to identify and express emotions surrounding: Hurting Separation Shame Guilt Loss Designed to provide fun. Use creative activities to explore intense feelings. A safe place for children to share their experiences.

They are given opportunities to deal with them constructively. Supporting CYP CYP are encouraged to recognise and understand the importance of their feelings. They are given opportunities to deal with them constructively. The child-centred approach is focused on helping children understand domestic abuse and recognise that it is not their fault. Look at developing safety plans to minimise the risk in the event of further exposure to abuse.

GWA Support Play One to one Group work Follow-on work Outreach Play Therapy Cedar As with women it is vital that children and young people receive appropriate support. The support that we provide as an organisation is: Talk through

Children’s Rights Listen Believe Support Provision Protection Prevention The most important thing that we can do for those experiencing domestic abuse is to listen to them and to believe them and then to support them. Provision- Our services to CYP are often funded on a yearly basis. This means that the workers posts are never secure and in theory the provision could end. This would mean that that support for CYP could be withdrawn and not replaced. Protection- As a human being we have the right live free from abuse. For many, many people this is not the reality of their lives. Huge need for protection. Police responses to domestic abuse have improved hugely. Domestic Abuse Liaison Officers and the Domestic Abuse Task Force. Prevention- I believe that the way forward is in prevention work. Obviously we need resources for women, children and young people that are exp domestic abuse but surely we need to eliminate DA. The only way of doing this is to educate people form a very young age around respect in relationships. I am sure that you will have covered anti-bullying, well this is an equivalent form of behaviour. Young peoples attitudes can be formed at a very young age. We need to challenge attitudes and behaviour.

What you can do to support young people? Cedar Groups. (Children Experiencing Domestic Abuse Recovery) Scottish Women’s Aid website- Access point for contacts to all Women’s Aid groups in Scotland. Childline. CEOP. Rosie Project. Get women to come up with ways that they could support their own children if appropriate or to consider interventions that they would have found helpful as CYP (if relevant).

Children’s Resilience Protective Factors: Parental responsibility Social connections Concrete support in times of need Promote self esteem and self efficacy

Support for women that experienced abuse as children Women’s Aid groups Rape Crisis Women’s Support Project Scottish Refugee Council

What you can do….know the limitations. Listen and believe. You can’t take over and solve the problem. Be honest and don’t promise not to tell. Remember Child Protection guidance. Be aware of other relevant organisations.

Any Questions????