How does it affect children?
Children are affected in many ways by abuse, even after a short time. These effects include: feeling frightened, becoming withdrawn, bedwetting, running away, aggressiveness, behavioural difficulties, problems with school, poor concentration and emotional turmoil. The longer children are exposed to abuse, the more severe the effects on them are.
Coercive Control
Coercive behaviour is a continuing act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim. This form of domestic abuse will have a detrimental impact on children living in this environment.
The Serious Crime Act 2015 creates a new offence of repeated or continuous controlling or coercive behaviour in intimate or familial relationships where the victim and perpetrator are personally connected. The new offence closes a gap in the law around patterns of controlling or coercive behaviour in an ongoing relationship between intimate partners or family members. The offence carries a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, a fine or both.
Adolescent to Parent Violence (APV) / Child to Parent Violence (CPV)
Adolescent to Parent Violence (APV) or Child to Parent Violence (CPV) can be defined as ‘abusive behaviour perpetrated by a son or daughter (who is legally recognised as a child and is most likely still living in the family home) against a parent.
Abusive behaviours which are recognised to be involved in APV include but are not limited to, threats, name calling, humiliation, threats to harm themselves or others, property damage, physical violence and theft (Holt, 2015).
APV is not restricted to violence by an adolescent against a parent; it extends to violence against a family member who is acting as a parent i.e. common-law in-laws, foster family, grandparents, aunt or uncle. It must be acknowledged that there is the potential for APV to occur even when the adolescent does not live in the same property as their parents.
Female Genital Mutilation
FGM is a procedure where the female genitals are deliberately cut, injured or changed, for non-medical reasons. It's also known as female circumcision or cutting, but has many other names. FGM can occur at different times in a girl or woman’s life, including:
- when a baby is new-born
- during childhood or as a teenager
- just before marriage
- during pregnancy
It's illegal in the UK and is child abuse. It is very painful, can seriously harm the health of women and girls and can cause long-term problems with sex, childbirth and mental health. Further information on the signs of FGM, effects and who is at risk can be found here .