violence against children WORLD REPORT ON - CRIN

3One type of punishment may give way toanother, depending on age. A study conductedamong 2,000 children aged six to 18 in Swazilandfound that humiliating psychologicalpunishment was more common against olderchildren, and corporal punishment morecommon among younger ones. 92The consequencesof violence againstchildrenThe consequences of violence against childreninclude both the immediate personal impactsand the damage that they carry forward intolater childhood, adolescence and adult life.The violence that children experience in thecontext of home and family can lead to lifelongconsequences for their health and development.They may lose the trust in other humanbeings essential to normal human development.Learning to trust from infancy onwardsthrough attachments in the family is an essentialtask of childhood, and closely related tothe capacity for love, empathy and the developmentof future relationships. At a broader level,violence can stunt the potential for personaldevelopment and achievement in life, and presentheavy costs to society as a whole.Developmental consequences:physical and psychologicalThe most apparent immediate consequencesof violence to children are fatal and non-fatalinjury, cognitive impairment and failure tothrive, and the psychological and emotionalconsequences of experiencing or witnessingpainful and degrading treatment that theycannot understand and are powerless to prevent.These consequences include feelings ofrejection and abandonment, impaired attachment,trauma, fear, anxiety, insecurity andshattered self-esteem. When a parent deliberatelyinflicts pain on a child, whether forpunishment or for some other reason, part ofthe child’s lesson is that the parent is a sourceof pain to be avoided; even at two years old,physically punished children distance themselvesfrom mothers compared to children whoare not physically punished. 93Impacts and consequences are complicated bythe fact that, at home, children are victimisedby people they love and trust, in places wherethey ought to feel safe. The damage is particularlysevere in the context of sexual abuse, particularlyas the stigma and shame surroundingchild sexual abuse in all countries usually leavesthe child dealing with the harm in solitude.Loss of confidence and belief in the humanbeings closest to the child can instil feelingsof fear, suspicion, uncertainty, and emotionalisolation. He or she may never again feel safe orsecure in the company of the parent or familymember who perpetrated the violence.A growing body of evidence suggests that exposureto violence or trauma alters the developingbrain by interfering with normal neuro-developmentalprocesses. 94 Where family violence isacute, children may show age-related changesin behaviour and symptoms consistent withPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) anddepression. Physical and sexual victimisationare associated with an increased risk of suicidalthoughts and behaviour, and the more severe63Violence against children in the home and family