Cases of domestic violence are some of the most devastating. For children, domestic violence has an immediate impact. Whether the violence is against them or someone else, the trauma is a very real part of their lives now and in the future.
In many cases, people ask why one spouse doesn’t leave if he or she is a victim of abuse. How can the parent choose to stay in a relationship where his or her child is at risk of injury? How is it justifiable?
In reality, it’s not easy for people involved in domestic abuse cases to escape. They may fear that taking steps to leave could result in further assaults, or they may not have access to funds that they need to leave.
The American Psychological Association claims that up to 70 percent of men who are violent against their partners also abuse their children. Children in these circumstances may be subjected to years of distress due to being exposed to their mother’s or father’s abuse along with the abuse they face themselves.
It’s always a goal to keep children who have seen or been victims of abuse separated from the abuser. It’s important to keep children in safe environments away from where harm can come to them. Additionally, there has to be an intervention of some kind that helps resolve the issues, whether that’s charges against an abusive spouse so that he or she is imprisoned or forced into therapy or orders to prevent child custody with the abusive parent. Your attorney can help you make sure your child stays in the arms of a protective, not abusive, parent.
Source: The Connection, “Promoting Safety in Cases Involving Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment,” Z. Ruby White Starr, accessed Jan. 30, 2018