Developmental Stages

The developmental stage the child is in when the domestic violence occurs also has an effect on how the violence will affect his or her development. Each developmental stage has certain key aspects of development which are occurring at that stage. If the child is exposed to violence during that stage, then the potential impact may affect the developmental tasks occurring at that stage. Below are examples of what aspects of development may be affected by witnessing violence at a certain age.

Age	Developmental Tasks	Potential Impact of Exposure to Violence
Infants & Toddlers	Take in information about the world through their senses	The images & noises of domestic violence are distressing; the world is unsafe
	Form secure attachments	Parents unable to consistently attend to child’s needs so child develops attachment problems
	Learn through exploration and play	Fear and instability inhibit exploration and play, causing developmental delays Play may become aggressive since that is what they witness
	Learn about social relationships & interactions from what they observe	Child may become lethargic or extremely shy/withdrawn from the world Learn that to be aggressive is normal and to solve problems with violence
	Learn to regulate sleep patterns	Fretful sleep, nightmares, bedwetting, and lethargy
	Develop normal motor, social, language, & cognitive skills	Delayed developmental skills

Age	Developmental Tasks	Potential Impact of Exposure to Violence
Pre-School	Learning about emotional states & how to express feelings	Learn unhealthy ways of expressing anger and aggression Are confused by the conflicting emotional messages they observe Often hit, kick, or bite to solve problems
	Are naturally ego-centric	May attribute violence to something they have done
	Forming ideas about gender roles based on social messages	Learn gender roles associated with violence & victimization
	Increasing physical independence	Instability may inhibit development of independence or regressive behaviors may occur
	Increasing social independence & learning friendship skills	Isolation and violence will hamper the development of social skills
	Developing a healthy immune system	Frequently ill
	Developing a positive self-concept	Low self-esteem, passive or negative about self

Age	Developmental Tasks	Potential Impact of Exposure to Violence
School-Age	Increased emotional awareness of self & others	More aware of the impact of abuse on self, siblings, & victim Oldest child may become the caregiver for younger siblings
	Increased complexity of thinking about right & wrong	Inability to develop normal moral thinking Lie or steal or hit to get what they want or avoid trouble
	Emphasis on fairness & intent	May be susceptible to rationalizations heard to justify violence Development of love/hate relationship with both the victim & abuser
	Academic & social success at school impacts self-concept	Accessibility for learning decreased because of the impact of violence May evoke negative behaviors or not attend to positive or negative feedback
	Increased difficulty of academics to master	May not be available for learning and struggle in school Poor concentration and attention skills Frequent absences and tardiness, don’t complete homework
	Increased influences by their peers, school, media, and community	May be more influenced by messages which confirm the attitudes and behaviors of woman abuse and violence
	Increased sex identification	May identify with the victim or the abuser May start to degrade or abuse females
	Competition within the peer group important	May use hostile aggression to compete (bullying) or may socially withdraw
	Learning to care for self	Frequent illness, often unkempt and/or lack of hygiene, nightmares, self-harm

Age	Developmental Tasks	Potential Impact of Exposure to Violence
Teenagers	Increased sense of self & autonomy from family	Poor communication and negotiation skills Transition to adolescence may be more difficult due to family problems
	Physical changes brought about by puberty	May try to physically stop the violence or may become a victim or a perpetrator Males may use increased size for physical intimidation or aggression Females may become sexually active to seek affection
	Self-concept strongly linked to appearance	May be increasingly impacted by verbal or emotional abuse of mother or appearance of mother after abusive incident
	Dating raises issues of sexuality, intimacy, & relationships skills	Do not have the social skills necessary for successful intimate relationships Have difficulty establishing healthy relationships Greater risk of becoming involved in dating violence
	Greater influence by the media	May be more influenced by media messages about violence or gender roles

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