Running head: ADOLESCENTS EXPOSED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 1

Adolescents Exposed to Domestic Violence tend to Have Lifelong Effects

ADOLESCENTS EXPOSED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 2
Abstract
Deviant behavior generally tends to be passed down generation to generation when you are consistently surrounded by a specific behavior. This paper talks about adolescents who are exposed to domestic violence and how it affects their future. For the most part, adolescents who have been exposed to domestic violence while growing up will encounter emotional and psychological damage. Research shows that as many as 275 million children worldwide are exposed to violence in the home. Keywords: domestic violence, adolescents, children

ADOLESCENTS EXPOSED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 3
Adolescents Exposed to Domestic Violence Tend to Have Lifelong Effects Family has traditionally been viewed as a place of safety and a place to look to for comfort. Many studies have proven that families can also manage to leave behind lifelong setbacks because of exposure to domestic violence. The violence that happens behind closed doors within a family is usually a big secret and a source of shame. It has been estimated that one million adolescents are annually subjected to domestic violence in their families. The domestic violence has a tendency to escalate; it starts out fairly mild and then grows increasingly worse, and those witnessing domestic violence become victims of violence. “Lepisto found that domestic violence in the family of a 6-month-old child tripled the risk of physical abuse and doubled the risk of psychological abuse and neglect in the first 5 years of a child’s life. In addition, experiences of violence tend to be passed down from parent to child.” (Lepisto, 2010, p. 1) According to a study by Paavilainen, more often than not adolescents have encountered many types of abuse and they find it hard to differentiate the difference between them. Children that experience abuse are put into living situations that leave them at a loss and with many negative feelings. (Paavilainen, 2010, p. 2)
Due to exposure to domestic violence adolescents may have difficulty learning and limited social skills, exhibit violent, risky or delinquent behavior, or suffer from depression or severe anxiety. “Children in the earliest years of life are particularly vulnerable: studies show that domestic violence is more prevalent in

ADOLESCENTS EXPOSED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 4 homes with younger children than those with older children.” (Indermaur) Adolescents that are exposed to violence continue to show signs of problems as they grow. Primary school age children tend to have difficulty with schoolwork and show little concentration skills. In one study, forty percent had lower reading abilities than children from non-violent homes. Children who grow up with violence in the home learn early and powerful lessons about the use of violence in interpersonal relationships to dominate others, and might even be encouraged in doing so. “The single best predictor of children becoming either