Policy Issues

Policy Issues 2

Children exposed to domestic violence.

The content of the video I chose to watch was a personal crime, domestic abuse between a child's parents. When grown-ups argue, fuss, and fight they think that they are alone that their children can not hear or see what is taking place. Parents think because they are behind close doors that their child can not possibly know what is going on. Children know what is going on inside their house, as far as their parents fighting. Casual factors mentioned in the video I chose was that the police respond to a 911 domestic disturbance call, where a man is violating a restraining order against him for breaking into the house where his 3 year old son is so they arrest him. The little boy has witnessed this domestic violence more than 20 times in the past year he has seen the police at his house. His father has spent 6 months in jail because of domestic violence (Films on Demand). Children listen to what is being said or going on in their home. They hear the threats, punches, and the slaps they hear their mother being told that their father will kill them first and then kill her. Future implications for children that are repeatedly exposed to domestic violence can be problems sleeping, depression, problems eating, anxiety, and aggressiveness themselves ("National Center For Children Exposed To Violence", 2006). In Boston there are 200 domestic cases a month that the police officers respond to. According to a study of 41 families, 85% of children were present in the house while their mother was being abused 71% witnessed their mother being assaulted (McGee, 2000) ("Children's Exposure To Domestic Violence", 2006). Children that witness domestic violence are often some times victims of abuse themselves. Some of the basic elements of this crime that made me choose this video was the fact that it involved children. I mean no one ever really asks a child about what they may or may not have witnessed. The officers think