ay to resolve conflicts and problems, or it's a part of family relationships. Because most victims of domestic violence are mothers, these battered women often fail to play a very important role in raising their children. When their children need them, they can not be emotionally available and responsive because they have to deal with their own battles. They often feel frustrated, helpless and fearful, often shutting themselves off from family and the rest of the world. Unfortunately, children raised by such parents often experience tension and lack of trust. They feel powerless, and they rarely know what to expect from interpersonal relationships. A recent study exposed one of the most chilling aspects of domestic violence; that violence is handed down and becomes an intergenerational circle. Children who witnessed family violence are more likely to become violent criminals than those who were not exposed to violence. The incidence of domestic violence in the United States has soared in recent years, making the research on domestic violence exposure that much more of a priority. We are still unable to fully understand the impact that the exposure to violence has on children. Secondly, when these children get caught in the middle of inter-parental violence, they tend to express anger towards others and society in general. They also tend to have lower scores in social competence than comparison groups. Why do some children from violent homes appear to be at increased risk of developing problems in social functioning and cognitive functioning? Why do we always wait until incidents happen before we give those children treatment? Today, much of what we know of domestic violence is from interviews of parents, caseworkers, and older children. However, this method of research has its inaccuracies. For any number of reasons, such as embarrassment, parents tend to underestimate the incidence of violence in the home. Worse yet, th...
