Knowledge Base

Youth witness factsheet: Impact of exposure to domestic violence

The negative effects of exposure to DV on children and youth has been well documented in research. Psychological, physical, and social consequences of exposure to DV are seen across ages, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Infants who witness DV have been found to show symptoms related to PTSD such as trouble sleeping, refusing to eat, and having trouble keeping food down. Preschool aged children exposed to DV may have lower self- esteem and poorer social skills. Another study found that 46% of Latin@ preschool aged children who were exposed to DV also experienced PTSD symptoms such as reexperiencing the event (e.g. being upset at reminders of the event, repeating statements from the event, reenacting parts the event, etc.), and heightened arousal (e.g. increased irritability, startling easily, and having trouble sleeping, etc.).

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