Children can 'witness domestic abuse' in a variety of ways. For example, they may be in the same room and may even get caught in the middle of an incident in an effort to make the violence stop. They may be in the room next door and hear the abuse or see their parent’s physical injuries following an incident of violence. They may be forced to stay in one room or may not be allowed to play. They may be forced to witness sexual abuse or they may be forced to take part in verbally abusing the victim. All children witnessing domestic violence being emotionally affected by the experience.
The Adoption and Children Act 2004 extends the legal definition of harming children to include harm suffered by seeing or hearing ill treatment of others, especially in the home.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, you are able to access help, support and advice from children’s services duty team on 01325 346867.
You can also visit the Darlington Domestic Abuse Forum