Domestic violence

COUN 5600
June 19, 2013

Thompson, H. E., (2011). The evolution of children’s domestic violence counseling group stages and processes. The Journal for Specialist in Group Work, 36 (3). 178–201. DOI: 10.1080/01933922.2011.578118.
Informative Annotation
When child witness their mothers being beaten by their father, is very traumatizing. Sometimes a child may block out the memories, and they may not resurface until they are adults. A child may even act out what they have witness in their homes. In either case domestic violence can scar a child for life, and this is why therapy would be an option. This article focuses on an eighteen week qualitative case study in a group setting of four young children between the ages of six and seven. “Three of the children are African American and one Latino”, (Thompson, 2011). The purpose of the study is to study the impact of domestic violence on children.
Exercises or activities conducted during the study included: conflict resolution and problem solving also expression of feelings. Safety planning that taught the children protective coping strategies to best function in a home where violence occurs also how to utilize supportive adults. The group process taught the children that they are not the blame for the violence. Also aided in attitude changes about the use of violence. Structured interventions such as role-plays, relaxation activities, games and stories, and art projects, (2011).
According to this article domestic violence can have a negative impact on any child that has to live in such an environment. It is believed that a child that witness violence may believe that violence is acceptable way of behavior. Thompson, H. E wrote, “Children who are exposed to domestic violence also believe that violence is a justifiable way to handle anger and stress, because violence is a learned behavior, (Thompson, 2011). Exposure to domestic violence can also cause “emotional adjustment, externalizing behaviors,” (Thompson, 2011). It can also affect a “Childs, Interpersonal skills, self-esteem, sense of personal safety, and attitudes about violence”, (Thompson, 2011). Therefore a child that has witnessed violence can have may have many psychological problems.
Because they have witnessed domestic violence cchildren are often affected in ways that their parents and other adults may not recognize. The purpose of the children's groups is to help them heal by letting them know the abuse is not their fault and that they are not alone in their experience. Group facilitators in this article lead exercises that helped the children identify and talk about their feelings. The group setting also helped the children learn self acceptance, gave the children a sense of self-value, also aided in their self-concept. Which some cases reduce the chances of the cycle of violence. This prevents the child from engaging in violent and/or abusive behaviors. Therapy can also prevent the child from having abusive relationships in the future, as either the abuser or becoming a victim.
A method used during this study was play therapy. Play therapy allowed the child to act out their feeling of aggression during play. During play the child can act out any anger that they may feel towards someone they may be angry with in a controlled setting. Play also taught the child self-control, the child can learn how to how to choose a socially acceptable way of expressing their feelings. It is believed that group therapy with children that live with domestic violence can teach children understanding of what has happened to them and their mothers. It could also help them overcome the negative impact of living with abuse in their homes. This type of therapy and also let them know that other children are going through the same thing, they are not alone. It can also teach them how to be safe; also help them feel better about themselves.
Evaluative Commentary
This article caught my eye because many times we talk about domestic violence and the victims. We never take the time to think about the children that live in these homes, they are victims also. I can relate to this article mainly because my children had to live through it, it could have been on of children in this study. My sons were taught at a young age that it was not ok to hit a girl, and to this day they don’t. One of my sons had an anger problem; he would always get into fights. I later found out why he was angry, I thought he was angry at me. He later told me, he was not angry at me but the situation of seeing his mother being beaten. I did not know the devastation it caused in my son’s life until he was in the military. He called me one day and said “Ma, I was lying in my bunk and had a flashback of daddy beating you.” He went on to say “I am sorry I could not help you”. My heart broke; I knew then why my son fought so much. He was angry at his father for abusing his mother, I never thought my children needed counseling but they did.