A surprising number of people suffering from domestic abuse will stay with their violent partners because they worry that divorce will harm their children. They may think that if their partner doesn’t hurt the kids physically, leaving might do more harm than the abuse.
There is little question among psychological professionals that divorce is an adverse childhood event that can lead to both psychological issues and physical health concerns later in life. However, divorce can also help children heal. It is crucial that battered spouses recognized that the violence they endure won’t just have an impact on them.
Children who witness the cycle of abuse are more likely to repeat it
Intimate partner abuse occurs in all kinds of situations. Either partner can abuse the other, and it also occurs in same-sex relationships just like it does in heterosexual ones. However, the most commonly reported dynamic of physical abuse is often a man physically abusing a woman, which in turn informs the research done on the long-term effects of domestic violence.
Sons who witness their fathers abusing their mothers are ten times more likely to become abusive of their intimate partners in the future. Daughters who witness their mother enduring abuse are more likely to suffer both physical and sexual abuse from their partners as they grow up themselves.
One of the best things that you can do as a victim of domestic violence is to choose to safely leave your partner and to help your children get the counseling they need to process and learn from the trauma. Filing for divorce because of domestic violence in your marriage isn’t easy, but it will benefit you and your children in the long run.