Use of children and the impact on them
The feeling of safety is a necessary need for every child which puts the responsibility on the caregiver to offer protection in the right time. Children in houses with domestic violence cases find it really hard to turn to their caregiver when terrified. Various effects can result from stressful environments in the shelter on caregivers and most importantly, children. Such situations will lead the child to question the image of a ‘safe world’ that he has in mind and might affect the manner in which his mind mentally develops by exploring and discovering with a different perspective. Another consequence can be aggressive behavior toward others as a result of the stressful situation. A serious aspect that is unfortunately neglected by people is the effect that domestic violence leaves on children’s brain function and structure, which has been proved by recent researches. The feeling of danger causes a person’s nervous system to release adrenaline and other hormones in the blood which increases heart rate and blood flow. The longer the period of unsecure feelings lasts, the more the dramatic changes of the body continues altering cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development. For a child I believe, it is very important to help them aim their energy towards learning and exploring rather than focusing on survival from chronic violence at the hands of there caregivers. The brain of a child might view a situation as a threat when other children who have not experienced domestic violence cases would see as normal. It is all related to the tantrums built in with the child’s personality which was affected by his environment. To lesson the various impacts mentioned earlier, shelter service providers can help caregivers to better understand the reasons behind certain behaviors and responses originated from domestic violence.