"The Kids are Watching"

Legal Gaps in Protecting Child Witnesses

While many countries have laws that criminalise child abuse—such as mandatory reporting laws in the U.S., Australia, and parts of Europe—most statutes focus on physical or sexual abuse. Far less legal recognition is given to the emotional trauma caused by exposure to domestic violence. Yet, decades of psychological research show that witnessing verbal, emotional, or physical abuse between adults can cause children to suffer the same mental health consequences as direct victims. This includes PTSD, anxiety, depression, developmental delays, and long-term relationship dysfunction.

The Cycle of Intergenerational Trauma

In criminology, this is known as intergenerational trauma—where abuse, neglect, and violence are passed down not just through actions, but through silence. A child who grows up watching one parent yell and another stay quiet learns that violence is power, and silence is survival. These patterns are often repeated in adulthood, continuing cycles of abuse and victimisation. Globally, more than 1 billion children are estimated to have experienced violence—many not through direct harm, but by simply witnessing it.

The Hidden Signs in Childhood

From a mental health standpoint, children in abusive homes may appear “well-behaved” or “quiet” while silently dissociating or repressing their emotions to survive. Studies have found that children who witness domestic violence are at increased risk for substance abuse, suicidal ideation, eating disorders, and academic decline. The trauma may not show immediately, but it lives in their nervous systems for life—often undiagnosed and untreated.

When Silence Becomes the Norm

Importantly, the public often overlooks how emotional neglect and passive exposure are damaging too. Many people—like the woman in the post—are quick to say, “How could anyone hurt a child?” while allowing toxic, aggressive, or unsafe dynamics to unfold in their own homes, with children present. The normalisation of yelling, control, and fear becomes invisible because it is familiar. But children are always watching—and what they witness, they absorb.

Beyond Physical Safety: What Children Deserve

Creating safety for children means more than protecting them from physical harm. It means breaking the silence. It means teaching them that abuse is not normal, that fear is not love, and that they deserve peace in every room they enter. Children do not need to be hit to be harmed. Watching silence is damaging too.