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What is it about ?
When someone in the victim’s family circle commits acts of violence, we talk about family violence. They can be family members in the strict sense, relatives or friends. Family violence is defined as forms of physical, sexual and psychological violence. Children can be both witnesses and victims of domestic violence.
Violence leads to violence: if it occurs in only one relationship within the family, for example between parents, the risk of violence increases significantly in other relationships, for example between siblings or between a parent and a child .
Family violence harms a child’s development, even if he or she is not the direct victim. The extent of this influence depends on the stage of development of the child, the duration and nature of the exposure to violence, the proximity to the brutal events and the emotional relationship of the child with the perpetrator. violent acts and the victim.
How to recognize it?
One can observe immediate effects and others in the longer term.
Witnessing violent acts can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. This disorder can be associated with the following problems:
- sleeping troubles ;
- nightmares;
- memory and concentration problems;
- excessive vigilance;
- relive events episodically.
Prolonged exposure to violent acts can manifest itself in the following ways:
- restlessness;
- behavioral disorders and aggressive behavior;
- learning difficulties:
- anxiety and depression;
- avoidance of social contact;
- regression of development.
What can you do ?
Often victims of domestic violence are afraid to voice their complaints. If a child has bruises (bruises) and / or bruises or if you suspect domestic violence, try to find out the reasons by asking targeted questions:
- Have you been hit?
- Did someone hurt you in any other way?
- Are you afraid of someone in particular?
Discuss a suspected domestic violence only with and only with the alleged victim. Starting the discussion in this phase with other family members can indeed seriously endanger the safety of the victim and the children.
If you suspect domestic violence, contact the doctor or social service.
What can your doctor do?
Dealing with domestic violence often requires extensive measures and good cooperation between several people and organizations.
In acute situations, the doctor will treat bodily injuries, ensure the safety of the child, and refer the family to appropriate services.
The doctor will do a thorough psychiatric evaluation of the child (child psychiatric evaluation) to obtain a reliable assessment of the effects that the sudden events had on the child.
Family violence always indicates a critical situation for the family. This is why the first step is to manage the crisis. First of all, you have to have a discussion with the adults, and then you listen to the children, ideally without the parents first. The child must be able to tell with an open heart what he has lived, seen or heard, and to say what all this has aroused in him. He should also receive information about the planned assistance and the procedures to be followed. The child is often very concerned about what is happening in his family. This is why it should be made clear that the whole family will benefit from assistance. You must also explain to the child that their safety will be taken care of and that a youth assistance service will take care of it.
In serious cases, it is also possible to involve the police, legal services and victim assistance. If necessary, the perpetrator could be temporarily denied access to the house, and it is possible to set a perimeter in which he can no longer be. We will sometimes arrange a reception in a refuge house.
Want to know more?
- Parents’ argument hits children (video) – Yapaka
- Maltraitance – ONE – Office for Birth and Childhood
Are you looking for more specialized help?
- 103-Listen-Children
- 107-Tele-Reception
- 0800 30 0 30 – Listening to Domestic Violence
- SOS-Enfants teams – ONE – Office for Birth and Childhood
- PMS Center – Wallonia-Brussels Federation
Source
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