Help for Children
the most effective way of preventing inter-generational violence is through good role modelling within families
children have a right to be safe
Children and babies are often invisible to adults in violent situations and to adults who come to help. Every year, thousands of New Zealand children are seriously traumatised by domestic violence.
Adults often hope that children don't realise that their mothers are being abused ('the children were asleep', 'they were outside playing,' 'too little to understand,' etc). However, studies show that children can often give detailed descriptions of the abuse and recent research has established that the experiences of children in their very earliest years well before they have language, impact on the brain and its control of social and emotional behaviour.
Children learn from observing and reacting to what they see happen in their families. By six years old, children will have learned a great deal about the roles expected of them and the kind of behaviour associated with those roles. Childhood sets the scene for the rest of life.
For more information about children's brain development, visit
http://www.brainwave.org.nz/.
Drawn from Community Action to Prevent Family Violence
