Childhood Exposure to Domestic & Family Violence
Executive Summary
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Domestic and family violence occurs across all age, socioeconomic and demographic groups, but predominantly affects women and children.
1
There is mounting empirical evidence of the effects of exposure to domestic and family violence on children’s development, and a growing recognition of the ways these harms can manifest in intergenerational cycles of trauma, violence and disadvantage.
2
Impacts on children’s behaviour, schooling, cognitive development and physical and mental well-being include:
- impaired cognitive functioning;
- poorer academic outcomes;
- increased aggression;
- lack of emotional control;
- destructive behaviours;
- learning difficulties;
- depression and poor mental well-being;
- low self-esteem;
- low school attendance; and
- bullying.3
The cumulative effects of long-term exposure to violence might result in an inability to regulate emotion, and cognitive and behavioural developmental delays.4
There is evidence of a link between exposure to family violence in childhood and the intergenerational transmission of violence,
5 as well as alcohol and drug abuse.
6 Children whose formative years are affected are vulnerable to developing long term mental health issues, which is itself a risk factor for both experiencing and perpetrating family violence.
7
The potential relevance of evidence of childhood exposure to domestic and family violence in sentencing proceedings includes an assessment of
moral culpability; moderating the weight to be given to
general deterrence; and determining the weight to be given to
specific deterrence and
protection of the community.
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[1] Council of Australian Governments, 'National Plan to End Violence against Women and Their Children' (2011) 1.
[2] Australian Institute of Family Studies, Children's Exposure to Domestic and Family Violence: Key Issues and Responses (December 2015) 2.
[3] Ibid.
[4] See Janet Phillips and Penny Vandenbroek, 'Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence in Australia: An Overview of the Issues' (Research Paper, Parliamentary Library, Parliament of Australia, 14 October 2014) 18; Royal Commission into Family Violence (Final Report, March 2016) vol 2, 111.
[5] Royal Commission into Family Violence (Final Report, March 2016) vol 1, 37.
[6] Janet Phillips and Penny Vandenbroek, 'Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence in Australia: An Overview of the Issues' (Research Paper, Parliamentary Library, Parliament of Australia, 14 October 2014) 7.
[7] Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Submission No 137 to Australian Human Rights Commission, Examination of Children Affected by Family Violence (June 2015) 11.