Table of Contents:

CWWA Program Information
Free Services for Children, Teens & Adults
FAQ's

The Children Who Witness Abuse (CWWA) programs work to break the intergenerational cycle of abuse by building self-esteem and teaching non-violent ways of resolving conflict. We provide a safe and supportive environment for children and youth to share their thoughts and feelings about abuse, while helping them to understand that abuse is never their fault.

The profound, negative effects that children who witness their mother being assaulted experience, are becoming increasingly recognized. Children's emotional development and behavior are affected, as well as in their educational adjustment. Children, especially boys, who witness violence are more likely to be violent when they grow up that those who did not. Witnessing violence in childhood increases the likelihood of a man becoming an abusive husband and causing severe injuries.

Everyone in the family who experiences or witnesses abuse is affected by it. Children learn, both during and after witnessing abuse, ways of communicating, behaving, coping, sharing, and living, which may lead to more unsafe and unhealthy experiences in their lives.

Abbotsford:
Children Who Witness Abuse (CWWA) Program
#101 - 33230 Old Yale Road, Abbotsford
Tel: 604-855-3363 ext: 103
Fax: 604-855-9583

Mission:
Children Who Witness Abuse (CWWA) Program
#2, 33070 Fifth Ave., Mission Memorial Centre, Mission
Tel: 604-820-8455 ext: 109
Fax: 604-820-8495

hildren
and youth who experience abuse are more likely to abuse others in their adult relationships if intervention does not take place.

busive
family environments have deep emotional effects on children, even if the child is not the primary target of abuse. Children often experience both immediate and long-term effects.

eactions
to abuse may vary from child to child. Some may react overtly (i.e. becoming aggressive or depressed), while others display more subtle adjustment difficulties (i.e. inappropriate attitudes about violence, poor problem-solving skills).

xposure
to abuse often leads to unhealthy coping behaviors that can progress into even further unsafe experiences.

CWWA programs provide the following services free of charge:

Individual counseling for children ages 3 yrs and up.

Support groups and individual counseling for teens up to 18 yrs.

Support for caregivers (including individual counseling and parent/caregiver education and information services).

1. How many children are affected by abuse?
2. What are the links between wife assault and child abuse?
3. What are the emotional effects on children?
4. What are the behavioral effects on children?
5. What is the impact on education and social skills?
6. What are specific effects at different ages, and for girls and for boys?
7. Are all children affected to the same degree?
8. What are the links between witnessing violence and learning to be violent?

1- How many children are affected?

Estimates of the proportion of children who witness their mothers being abused ranges from 40% to 80%. The consensus of opinion is that children see, overhear, or are aware of the majority of violent incidents. Best estimates indicate that three to five children in every Canadian school classroom have witnessed their mother being assaulted. In many cases, children witness severe violence. For example, in the 1993 Statistics Canada study, children were reported to have witnessed violence in more than half of the cases in which women feared for their lives. Children who witness physical violence toward their mother almost invariably witness a great deal of psychological abuse, including verbal abuse, belittling, and threats toward her.

2 - What are the links between wife assault and child abuse?

Children who witness the violent behavior of their father, or their mother's partner, toward their mother are being emotionally abused. 

There is 30% to 40% overlap between children who witness wife assault and children who experience direct physical abuse themselves.

Women are often abused during pregnancy and miscarriage sometimes results. 

Abuse, the resultant trauma, and stress on the mother lessen the coping resources that mothers have available for parenting. This can result in less effective parenting by the mother, and neglect or child abuse in some cases. 

A pattern of physical and emotional abuse of a mother by the father, or other male partner, is common in families in which children are sexually abused by their father or the male partner of  their mother.

3 - What are the emotional effects on children?

Children who witness their mother being abused by their father, or mother's male partner, frequently experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The symptoms of PTSD include re-experiencing the trauma (nightmares, intrusive thoughts or images, flashbacks); fear, anxiety, tension, and hyper-vigilance; irritability and outbursts of anger and aggression; and efforts to avoid being reminded of the abuse.

If the mother takes her children and leaves, the children suffer disruption of their home, their routine, relationships with their friends, and often their schooling. These children may be pre-occupied with the fear that violence will re-occur and are often aware of threats and attempts at renewed contract, or stalking, by their fathers. At the same time, the children may be relieved to be in a safer place.

Children who witness wife assault and whose parents separate may have ambivalent feelings toward their father. They may miss him and worry about his well being, but be afraid of him at the same time.

Children, as they enter adolescence, may have mixed feelings about their mother. They may feel sympathy and support, but also be resentful and disrespectful because of their opinions about her   choices.

4 - What are the behavioral effects on children?

Children who have witnessed their mothers being assaulted display highly elevated rates of depression, withdrawal, low self-esteem, and other emotional problems.

Children who witness wife assault have a much greater risk of behavioral problems, such as aggression with peers, non-compliance with adults, destructive behavior, and conflict with the law.

The level of emotional and behavioral problems for children who witness abuse is comparable to that of children who are, themselves, being physically abused.

5 - What is the impact on education and social skills?

Children who witness their mother being abused by their father, or other male partner, tend to have lowered school achievement. They may have increased school absences because they are needed at home to look after siblings when the mother is incapacitated, or they may refuse to go to school because they do not want to be separated from their mother. At all ages, children may not pay attention in school at times because they are preoccupied and anxious. They are more often truant. When at school, they may be withdrawn or aggressive.

Children from violent homes tend to have lowered social skills. Abusive homes are often socially isolated and children may be taught to be secretive about the abuse.

6 - What are specific effects at different ages, and for girls and for boys?

• Very young children, even infants, are seriously affected by witnessing abuse and may experience problems with sleeping, weight gain, and excessive crying.

• Preschool aged children display effects such as anxiety, clinginess, and aggressive behavior.

• Children beyond the infant or pre-school age often feel as though they are responsible to intervene in abusive situations.

• Children aged six to ten tend to have school problems and peer relationship problems.

• Teenage children tend to be truant, run away from, or drop out of school. They tend to become involved in violent dating relationships. Teens may, in some cases, use denial as a coping method.

• Some, but not all, studies find that girls who witness violence have a greater tendency to become withdrawn and depressed, while boys have a greater tendency to act aggressively. However, both problems can be present in both boys and girls.

• Boys, especially at age 11 or older, who identify strongly with their father, may imitate his actions by being aggressive towards their mother and other women.

7 - Are all children affected to the same degree?

• Children whose mothers cope especially well and have strong social support will fare better. Children who have areas of strength in school, good social relationships, and involvement in sports activities are also better off.

• Children who witness abuse and are also, themselves, abused tend to fare the worst.

8 - What are the links between witnessing violence and learning to be violent?

• Children from violent homes are being taught that violence is an effective way to gain power and control over others.

• Children from violent homes are prone to accept excuses for violent behavior and have an increased risk of acting aggressively toward peers and adults.

• Witnessing violence greatly increases the chances that boys will grow up to act violently with dating and/or marital partners. For girls, it increases the chances that she will accept violence that occurs in her dating and/or marital relationships.