Immediate impact of domestic abuse on children and young people

Domestic abuse has wide ranging effects on the physical and emotional wellbeing of children and young people, including:

• Distress caused by witnessing (seeing or hearing) the physical and emotional suffering of a parent.
• Children may be pressurised into concealing assaults, and experience the fear and anxiety of living in an environment where abuse occurs.
• Children may be drawn into the abuse of a parent, or may themselves become victims of physical abuse and experience injury and serious harm.