Moms tell how domestic violence impacted their children
Children are extremely observant and what they see and hear is most times what they emulate straight into adulthood. This has been the experience of several women who were victims of domestic violence, and then later saw the repercussions manifested in their children’s behavior.
They share below:
MJ:
My son’s father and I got into a serious fight the other day and he came in and saw me in pain, and tears came to my eyes because for the first time, I saw my son cry. My grown son was crying, and that was when I realised that I was setting a bad example for him. I have so far got the authorities involved and I have moved out. I can no longer live like that just because I love my son’s father.
Christine:
About three days ago I had to really have a serious talk with my son because his wife called me crying telling me he beat her almost every night then forced sexual intercourse after. When she was telling me, I started to cry because I realised that that was exactly what his father used to do to me before he died. I had to seriously talk to my son and let him know that the next time he hits his wife, I am calling the police myself. No woman should go through that.
BM:
My daughter saw her stepfather and I fight when she was around three years old, and even now, at 23, she remembers and talks about it. I pray that she doesn’t fall for anyone like that.
Meisha:
My children saw every time their father would beat me and then beat them after if they tried to intervene, and that affected me for years until I decided I had enough and I physically attacked him and that was the end of it. I moved out and he moved on with some other woman. It was really depressing to watch my children go through that.
RC:
My children saw it but there was nothing I could do because he provided for us all. I had no job and no other way to survive but just take it until better came.
