The HOPE Connection – Fall 2023

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s statistics, 1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence.

Many children exposed to violence in the home are also victims of abuse. What is important to remember is that, even though you may think they haven’t witnessed, there is a good chance they have. Children who live in an abusive home are often referred to as the silent victims. Children who witness domestic violence or are victims of abuse themselves are at serious risk for long-term physical and mental health issues, this is why early intervention is so important.

SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON CHILDREN:

• Generalized anxiety
• Sleeplessness
• Nightmares
• Difficulty concentrating
• High activity levels
• Increased aggression
• Increased anxiety about being separated from a parent
• Intense worry about their safety or the safety of a parent

LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON CHILDREN

• Physical health problems
• Behavior problems in adolescence (e.g., juvenile delinquency, alcohol use, substance abuse)
• Emotional difficulties in adulthood (e.g., depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD)

WAYS TO HELP

The ways to help children who are victims of domestic violence include:

• Arranging school-age children to receive counseling from professionals at their school.
• Experimenting with various types of counseling: play therapy, peer support groups, anger management classes, and safety programs to teach kids how to protect themselves in dangerous situations.
• Finding a loving and supportive adult to introduce to the child and encourage the child to spend as much time regularly with the adult. This may include a trusted family member or community advocate. The Family Violence Defense Fund reports that the single most important ingredient to help children heal and develop resiliency is the presence of a loving adult.
• Providing a safe environment that does not include violence in any form after a child has witnessed domestic violence.
• Finding ways to discipline that do not involve hitting, name-calling, yelling, or any form of verbally aggressive behavior.
• Helping children create a sense of safety by having scheduled routines, such as regular meals and homework times.

Despite the high occurrence of childhood exposure to domestic violence, it is important to note that children are inherently resilient and can move forward from stressful events in their lives. Children heal by having adults who care about them provide guidance, attention, and support in the aftermath of domestic violence. While the number of children exposed to domestic violence remains staggering, services are available to those in need. If you or a loved one needs to speak with someone today, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or for more information on child abuse and prevention visit the Minnesota Department of Human Services at https://mn.gov/dhs/report-abuse/.

Domestic violence is often perceived as a private matter and therefore is a personal issue that others should not get involved in. However, domestic violence also affects the workplace. It can affect the victim’s overall performance at work such as absenteeism, lack of motivation, and isolation. According to a Canadian analysis, it demonstrated that employers in that country lose $77.9 million because of domestic violence every year (Phillips and Ravishankar). Domestic violence impacts the workplace financially, productivity wise, and can cause a threat to the safety of the employees.

If an employee’s performance is not up to standard, employers should be mindful and ask their employee about their wellbeing instead of critiquing their performance. This can open the conversation for a victim to disclose their abuse and seek help.

These are a few indications of domestic violence that both employers and employees can look out for:

• Bruises or injuries
• Last minute call off
• Lack of motivation
• Lack of participation
• Isolation
• Distant
• Anxious

A victim’s workplace may be their only safe space away from their abuser. The abuser may try to sabotage the victim’s workplace because it also provides financial freedom from their abuser. The abuser may feel jealous because the victim can interact with others besides them. All these factors may lead to the abuser coming to the workplace. In the event that the abuser does enter the workplace, employers should have a procedure in place to ensure the safety of the victim and their employees.

Here are a few actions that employers can take to help a victim of domestic violence:

• Empower employees to support each other. Employers should promote solidity and unity amongst coworkers so that victims may be comfortable enough to disclose abuse to their fellow coworkers.
• Provide training and resources on domestic violence. This can include training on what to do if the abuser were to show up at the victim’s workplace.
• Encourage employees to speak up. Employers should talk with their staff and encourage their employees to report abuse if they feel that there is reason to believe abuse is taking place.
• Allow for flexible scheduling for victims. Victims may need time off work for court proceedings or medical appointments. Employers should consider these factors when creating the victim’s work schedule.
• Revise health care coverage. Employers should revise their current health care coverage to include mental health. 

The holiday season is fast approaching. Personally, I have no idea how we got here so quickly. The seasons are changing and to me that is a time of reflection on how the year went: highs and lows and goals for the future.

The holidays mean different things to everyone. When we are spending time with our loved ones participating in our traditions, I ask that you think of those in your own community that won’t have that this year, and if you would like to help, make that dream happen. Please reach out by phone to our Long Prairie office or our Little Falls office in the month of November to be linked up with a family or find out how best to support families in need. This is the part of the holiday season that we look forward to. It is so rewarding to see others faces light up with emotion when they see the outpouring of support from everyone.

I am especially thankful for all the organizations and individuals that thought of us last year during this time by adopting a family for Christmas or just by calling and figuring out what we needed to keep serving these wonderful communities that we do.

Thank you and have an amazing holiday season.