Affects of Domestic Violence in Disrupting Family Unity Essay

Affects of Domestic Violence in Disrupting Family Unity - Essay Example This discussion will examine the negative effects of domestic violence on the family unit first interjecting statistics to substantiate the claims that children are the victims as well as the wives. These indicators show that violence within the family so vastly affects children that a major disruption of the family unit is the consequence in every occasion. In homes where domestic violence has been reported against wives, the children are 15 times more likely to have been abused and/or neglected. â€Å"Over 3 million children are at risk of exposure to parental violence each year† (McKay, 1994). The majority of women who have been forced to seek a shelter to escape their tormentor report that their children are also being abused. These children are â€Å"three times more likely to have been abused by their fathers† (McKay, 1994). Research that has been conducted regarding how the prevalence of family violence affects the lives of children suggests that this phenomenon is a critical public health concern. In 1992, state agencies across the U.S. reported over 200,000 incidents of child abuse and half that number of child sexual abuse cases. â€Å"It has been estimated that about 1 in 5 female children and 1 in 10 male children may experience sexual molestation. At least 1,200 children died as a result of maltreatment† (Regier & Cowdry, 1995). Incidences of domestic violence, a growing problem in the U.S., affect the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral development of children, produces disharmony in the family unit and instigates harmful lifetime problems for all concerned. When exposed to threatening or brutal emotional and/or physical treatment, wives and children experience traumatic stress disorders that require exceptional coping skills. Instances of domestic violence are usually unanticipated and uncontrollable which serve to devastate a family