Other types of abuse
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence happens when one person in a relationship tries to control the other person by using the types of abuse mentioned above, i.e. physical, verbal, emotional, etc.
Domestic violence does affect children
Are you being hurt? Children are sometimes intentionally hurt by an abusive parent, or they get caught in the middle of a domestic violence situation and are "accidentally" hurt or even killed.
If you are in danger and you need to talk to somebody right now, you can telephone ChildLine on 0800 1111.
Is another person in your family being hurt? We know that children don't necessarily have to be physically or verbally abused to be hurt by domestic violence. Hearing or seeing the abuse of one parent by the other can deeply affect a child. Children can develop physical and/or emotional problems that can last a lifetime.
How Domestic Violence may affect you: You may grow up believing violence is a normal part of family life. You may be more likely to be abusive as an adult because you have learnt the behaviour at home or you may be more passive and withdrawn. You may live in daily fear of what to expect at home. Your lives may be filled with confusion, chaos, anger, and tension that can lead to lifelong fear and inability to trust others. You may feel isolated because the abusive parent could try and shut the family off from your friends and outside help or support. You may be feeling responsible for the abuse, that it is in some way your fault and you may also feel powerless to stop it.