Children are impacted in a significant way following being in a setting of domestic abuse.9 There can be an impact on mental and physical health. Children who have experienced domestic abuse often suffer from a range of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and behavioural problems.9 Struggles can arise with trust, forming attachments and with school and social relationships, self-esteem and self-worth.10 Domestic abuse can also affect children's physical health, including causing sleep disturbances, eating problems, and increased susceptibility to illness.8Early interventions have been found to reduce the effects of this.8

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Mental health issues can cause long-term consequences that can impact their adult life as well as initial trauma. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur in children that have experienced domestic abuse.2 This can impact the interactions and relationships they build in school or refuge settings if they do not get the right support.11 Such negative outcomes can be nightmares in which the child replays scenes of abuse they have experienced.12 A trauma symptom that can continue into adult life is muted emotional expression. A child’s ability to form secure emotional bonds can impacted through the brain inhibiting the ability for the child to experience emotion fully.13 This may serve as protective for the child in the short term when exposed to abuse when experiencing extreme emotions of fear. The issue is when the child is exposed to positive situations in future muted emotions may continue.14 For example a child which has not experienced trauma may be happy or express joy outwardly. A child that has experienced trauma may appear muted or unphased by the same stimuli that produced joy in a child that has not experienced trauma. Trauma symptoms such as emotional numbing, flashbacks and nightmares of abuse may be factors which contribute to the negative prognosis of some people that have experienced domestic abuse in childhood.15

Anxiety and depression

Anxiety and depression are factors that can impact children who have experienced abuse.16 Hypervigilance can be developed and negative automatic thoughts of worst-case scenarios in every situation encountered. The experience of domestic abuse can affect how a child sees themselves, the world and others making them more fearful and less hopeful for the future. Core beliefs of worthlessness or not being good enough may result leading to continued experiences of sadness throughout life.17 It is reported that children who had experienced violence directed at them during domestic abuse were more likely to be suicidal.18 Sometimes children may experience strong emotions of anger which can be expressed through behaviours of aggression.19 Some children they may develop aggressive behaviour problems in adulthood perpetuating the vicious cycle of domestic abuse.20 This can impact relationships they make and life opportunities available as adults.8 Overall there can be a decrease in processes related to positive endorphins such as dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin. There can be an increase the processes of hormones related to chronic stress in the body such as cortisol.21 This can impact the physical health of the child and future behaviours such as substance abuse in attempt to self-medicate to rebalance the body.2

Physical health

There has been correlation found between children that experience domestic abuse and reported physical health problems.21 Studies have shown that there is an increase in physical health problems after a child has experienced domestic abuse. This includes whether a child has witnessed intimate partner violence between their parents or directly experienced violence towards them.18

Children who have experienced domestic abuse can develop physical health symptoms such as stomach aches and headaches. It was reported that girls tended to report stomach aches more than boys and that older children tended to report headaches.18 This study found that children who had experienced violence directly and vicariously were more likely to report stomach aches. Children who had experienced abuse were reported to be more likely to develop chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases or respiratory diseases.8 Dedicating time to professionally supporting children in a refuge context can reduce these outcomes.2

Increase academic performance

Children that have experienced domestic abuse can experience difficulties within academic settings. Studies have found that such difficulties relate engagement, attainment and truancy.20 A child who has experienced ACEs such as domestic violence may have difficulties managing emotions, relationships and behaviour within education settings.22 It is reported that it may lead to a child growing up with less opportunities for positive life outcomes compared to a child that has not experienced domestic abuse.8 An example of this is shown in a study by Carrell et al.22 It was found that future earnings and university prospects can be negatively affected when a child experiences domestic violence.22 Another recent study has shown a correlation between pregnant women experiencing domestic abuse and adverse impact for newborn children leading to intergenerational transmission of inequality.