Safeguarding Childhood: Understanding and Responding to Domestic Abuse

Children who are exposed to and victims of domestic abuse may experience fear, anxiety or hypervigilance, feelings of guilt, blame or responsibility, confusion about safety and loyalty and shame or secrecy.Even very young children, including infants, are affected.Exposure to chronic stress can alter the developing brain's stressresponse systems.Children's behavioural responses vary widely and include things such as regressing (bedwetting, clinginess, nightmares), showing aggression or oppositional behaviour, struggling with emotional regulation, social withdrawal and difficulties in school.These behaviours are not problems to 'fix'; they are coping strategies developed in unsafe environments and social workers must recognise this to support children appropriately.Domestic abuse can erode the child's secure attachment with both parents: with the non-abusive parent, due to stress and limited emotional availability and with the abusive parent, due to fear, unpredictability or emotional manipulation.This can have lifelong implications for relationships and self-esteem.