Through Their Eyes: Domestic Violence and It's Impact on Children

<strong>Through</strong> <strong>Their</strong> <strong>Eyes</strong>
• Undermine the
mother’s authority in
the family <strong>and</strong> cause
the children to lose
respect for her
• Retaliate if she
attempts to protect
the children
• Cause depression in
the mother, which
in turn prevents her
from meeting the
emotional needs of
her children
• Frighten the children
• Isolate the mother
<strong>and</strong> the children
from friends <strong>and</strong>
other relatives 13
Many of the emotional <strong>and</strong> behavioral
realities of children living in violent
situations are visible in their artwork.
Drawing can be an effective tool for
children who have witnessed domestic
violence because it allows them to
validate what they have seen. It also
allows treatment providers to see the
child’s interpretation of the situation.
An incident of domestic violence can
look very different to a child than it
does to their parent, the police or
other adults.
The drawings throughout this book were
created by participants in the YWCA’s
Children’s <strong>Domestic</strong> <strong>Violence</strong> Program,
which we will examine in detail in
Chapter 3.
Art can show us how children remember
incidents: often, one clear detail or image
st<strong>and</strong>s out amidst the chaos. In essence,
these details have been etched into the
child’s mind <strong>and</strong> st<strong>and</strong> out nearly as
sharply as the incident itself.
13