Crime Prevention Association of NB Inc 17 THE EFFECTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON CHILDREN (continued) emotional, behavioural and developmental problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder. In 6 out of 10 cases of physical and sexual abuse, the victims have considerable problems with behaviour, negative peer involvement, depression and anxiety, violence to others, developmental delays, irregular school attendance, and inappropriate sexual behaviour. It is now known that witnessing family violence is as harmful as experiencing it directly. Often parents believe that they have shielded their children from spousal violence, but research shows that children see or hear some 40% to 80% of it. Children who witness family violence suffer the same consequences as those who are directly abused. In other words, a child who witnesses spousal violence is experiencing a form of child abuse. SIGNS OFABUSEAND FAMILYVIOLENCE The effects of child abuse and family violence show up in many ways.These are just some of the signs — especially when they appear in clusters or represent a change in behaviour: • self-blame, feelings of guilt and shame, clinging, extreme shyness, extreme and repetitive nightmares, loneliness, long bouts of sadness, social withdrawal, separation anxiety, fear of strangers, fear of others of same gender as abuser, general fearfulness, anxiety and phobias; • feelings of being out of control, intrusive thoughts, feelings of stigmatization, insecure attachment to parents and caregivers, loss of faith, truancy, running away, fighting with peers, criminal offending, early use of drugs and alcohol, substance abuse;
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