Safeguarding Service



Support and services for children and young people

If you have children, you have probably tried to shield them from the domestic abuse as much as you possibly can. Perhaps you are hoping they do not know it is happening. However, in the majority of families where there are children, and where abuse is being perpetrated, the children will be aware of this, and will often hear it or see it going on. According to the Department of Health, at least 750,000 children a year witness domestic violence. In some cases, the children themselves will suffer physical or sexual abuse from the same perpetrator.
Children can witness domestic violence in a variety of ways. For example, they may be in the same room and may get caught in the middle of an incident, perhaps in an effort to make the violence stop; they may be in another room but be able to hear the abuse or see their mother’s physical injuries following an incident of violence; or they may be forced to take part in verbally abusing the victim. Children are completely dependent on the adults around them, and if they do not feel safe in their own homes, this can have many negative physical and emotional effects. All children witnessing domestic violence are being emotionally abused, and this is now recognised as ‘significant harm’ in recent legislation .

Children will react in different ways to being brought up in a home with a violent person. Age, race, sex, culture, stage of development, and individual personality will all have an effect on a child’s responses. Most children, however, will be affected in some way by tension or by witnessing arguments, distressing behaviour or assaults – even if they do not always show this. They may feel that they are to blame, or – like you – they may feel angry, guilty, insecure, alone, frightened, powerless, or confused. They may have ambivalent feelings, both towards the abuser, and towards the non-abusing parent.

I’m Not Safe At Home

These are some of the effects of domestic violence on children:

  • They may become anxious or depressed.
  • They may have difficulty sleeping.
  • They may have nightmares or flashbacks.
  • They may complain of physical symptoms such as tummy aches.
  • They may start to wet their bed.
  • They may have temper tantrums.
  • They may behave as though they are much younger than they are.
  • They may have problems at school, or may start truanting.
  • They may become aggressive.
  • They may internalise their distress and withdraw from other people.
  • They may have a lowered sense of self-worth.
  • Older children may start to use alcohol or drugs.
  • They may begin to self-harm by taking overdoses or cutting themselves.
  • They may develop an eating disorder.

Violence may also interfere with your children’s social relationships: they may feel unable to invite friends round (or may be prevented from doing so by the abuser) out of shame, fear, or concern about what their friends may see. They may feel guilty, and think the violence is their fault, or that they ought to be able to stop it in some way. There can be an impact on school attendance and achievement: some children will stay home in an attempt to protect their mother, or because they are frightened what may happen if they go out. Worry, disturbed sleep and lack of concentration can all affect school work.

You may feel that you will be blamed for failing as a parent, or for asking for help, and you may worry that your children will be taken away from you if you report the violence. But it is acting responsibly to seek help for yourself and your children, and you are never to blame for someone else’s abuse. It is important that you – the non-abusing parent – are supported so that in turn you can support your children and ensure that they are safe, and that the effects of witnessing (and perhaps directly experiencing) the violence are addressed.

At HARV we believe that the best way to protect children is to protect the abused parent.

Safeguarding Service

The safeguarding service provides children and young people affected by domestic abuse with the opportunity to talk about their experiences.  Our aims are to:

  • Reduce the impact that domestic violence can have on children
  • Improve outcomes and safety
  • Improve service responses
  • Empower children and young people within the safeguarding process
  • Enable the strengthening of families

Our safeguarding workers will assess and monitor the risk of children and young people, ensure that their voices are heard, provide support and ensure they are supported.

The workers will also be able to support child in the criminal and civil court proceedings and in multi agency meetings.

Please contact the children and young peoples coordinator jess@harvoutreach.org.uk