Children Who Witness Domestic Violence: The Invisible Victims Children today are likely to experience or witness violence at home. Researchers are concerned about the effect domestic violence has on children, and has prompted researchers to conduct an increasing number of investigations into this issue. Social learning theory and Erikson's theory of basic trust are two tools used to predict aggressive behavior in children. Children develop their basic sense of trust at very early age. If the child proceeds through this stage with the proper support, they will learn to trust others. Otherwise, if the parents are violent, abusive, or the environment they grow up in is not safe, and then they will lack that inherent trust in others. Later in life, these individuals may become either criminals or the victims of the violence. .
Over the past half century, violence in the United States has increased dramatically. Children who were raised in a tough, low-income neighborhood often fail to escape exposure to violence. They may witness homicides, assaults, and some may even have had a friend who had been killed. According to recent research, these children have higher violence rates than those kids who grew up in a non-violent neighborhood. Today, children are likely to experience or witness violence in the home. With domestic violence being the most frequent type of violent crime, a child's homes is no longer a safe haven. Statistics show that domestic violence is the major cause of injuries to women; their husbands or lovers kill one third of all women murdered in United States. Unfortunately, a number of these cases occur in the presence of children. These children often show signs of emotional distress and immature behavior at a very young age. These symptoms might affect their behavior throughout their adolescent and adult lives. .
Most experts believe that children, who are raised in abusive homes, learn that violence is an effective way to resolve conflicts and problems, or it's a part of family relationships.