“Where are you going to go? How could I have spoken up and to whom? And it is not easy to speak up… I was afraid…. terrorised; even a grown-up woman is afraid where domestic violence is concerned... Let alone a child.... You feel literally alone... And you feel that you exist and not live” (Sammut Scerri, 2015). This is what Anita* remembers as a child living in family where her father beat her mother and where she and her siblings were also neglected and abused.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with measures of restricted movement and isolation, increased stress, economic instability, increased levels of tension and fear of the virus, reports of all forms of violence, particularly domestic violence began to rise.
As 25 November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, it is important to raise awareness that this is not just a “women’s issue”. It is in fact a human rights issue, that has devastating short-term and long-term consequences on all family members especially the children. Children who are exposed to domestic violence are at risk of a wide range of psychological, emotional, behavioural, social and academic problems (Fong et al., 2017; Vu et al., 2016; Wood and Sommers, 2011) that can last in the short-term, medium or long-term and / or even intergenerationally.
How many children are living in families where there is domestic violence?
In Malta, so far, there are no local figures of how many children are living in families where there is domestic violence. What is known is that that 1 in 4 women have experienced domestic violence by their previous or current partner. Across Europe, including Malta, 73% of these women who experienced domestic violence in a current or past relationship reported that their children were aware of the violence that they experienced.
Children are not merely “witnesses” of domestic violence. Most of the times they are centrally involved, feeling that they must intervene or take sides. They might believe that they can mediate their parents’ fights and stop the violence. But when they take sides, their relationship with the other parent may be harmed. They may also end up being the target of anger or aggression from the other parent or their actions may provoke further anger and aggression between the parents. All of this put children at risk for the deterioration of the parent-child relationship with the increased risk for further maladjustment for the children (Camisasca et al., 2019).
Children in the same family may react differently to what they would be experiencing at home. Some children would intervene between their parents. Other children would withdraw and become more prone to being depressed and distressed. Other children may be aggressive and violent with their siblings. If children are frightened and worried about what happens at home, they will find it extremely hard to concentrate at school and achieve their academic potential. Other children might find that doing well at school and having a good relationship with a teacher or teachers, a way towards resilience, that protects their mental health.
In the recent UNICEF report (2020) entitled , Maltese children unfortunately fared badly on indicators of mental wellbeing, physical health and skills, which highlights the need for scholars and policymakers to go into more depth into what is hindering the wellbeing of our children.
Further research about the experiences of children living in families where there is domestic violence is an important way forward.
It needs to focus ways that can help end violence against women and children. The following 7 evidence-based strategies from the WHO, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, indicate where investments need to be made in terms of prevention:
- Life skills in children and adolescents;
- Controlling the availability and harmful use of alcohol;
- Reducing access to guns and knives;
- Promoting gender equality to prevent violence against women;
- Changing cultural and social norms that support violence;
- Victim identification, care and support programmes; and
- The development of safe, stable and nurturing relationships.
