Claudia Calleja
Hundreds of children witness parent abuse
About 300 children experience domestic violence taking place before their eyes in any one month, according to statistics.
A snapshot of September 2008 showed that the Domestic Violence Unit at Appoġġ agency handled 337 children who reported seeing a parent being abused.
Snapshot statistics taken a year earlier, in November 2007, showed that 301 children witnessed domestic violence that month, explained Maryanne Gauci the service manager of Appoġg's Adult and Family Services.
She said the cases were handled by five full-time social workers with full caseloads, a part-timer, as well as a team leader and coordinator. She stressed the need for more resources to help victims of domestic violence and that included the children who were witnessing the abuse.
"If these cases are not given the necessary help, in future these children could be victims or perpetrators," she said during a press breakfast held to mark the European year for combating poverty and social exclusion.
"Research shows girls who witness domestic violence at home tend to internalise the abuse and are prone to becoming victims of abuse. Boys, on the other hand, tend to become aggressive and some even beat up their own mother," she said.
Ms Gauci added that victims of domestic violence, who were often women, were prone to social exclusion, poverty and mental health problems.
She explained that the unit also operated a perpetrators' programme that helped abusers reform. Last year 144 people attended the programme.
Marceline Naudi, the outgoing chairman of the Commission on Domestic Violence, elaborated that domestic violence was about power and control and was still hidden in society. Within the next few weeks, Dr Naudi's role will be taken on by Joanna Xuereb. Dr Naudi read out the words of a victim who explained that she endured 17 years of violence, in the presence of their children, from the man she loved and married.
"He would lock the children in a room while he breaks their mother's bones... When they came out they would see me all bloody," the woman said.
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Claire Busuttil
Jul 31st 2010, 17:34
Ghalhekk ghandu jidhol d divorzju......
Leo Bartolo
Jul 31st 2010, 15:33
What happened to the man who locked up his children in order to break his wife's bones. Is he in prison? Is he in a mental institute? Where? This is what we want to know. For example recently we came to know that the Court of Law gave a suspended sentence to a a perpetrator of domestic violence.. Society is sick of hearing words and experiences. Society wants these evil men punished for their evil acts.
Jane camilleri haber
Jul 31st 2010, 14:10
unless a person has within herself the tools necessary to gauge whether a prospective spouse is able to make a good husband and father well before she 'falls in love' with him and is able to use her head before she allows her heart to sweep her off her feet, she might as well have divorce which will see her into a second, third and subsequent relationships all ending in the same tragedy. I have known couples who well before their marriage, there were all the signs of doom for them, and even though I pointed it our to them they still carried on to their own eventual unhappiness. divorce will not solve such problems it only gives more room for their repetition.
Jane camilleri haber
Jul 31st 2010, 14:04
before taking this typical narration as a justification for divorce, let us remember that where divorce exists, new family situations are created where not only such a scene is repeated into the second and third marriages but also much worse things, such as incest between children from first marriages who are dragged by one of the parents into the second try, as well as stepdaughter sexual abuse which seems to be far more frequent than the more unnatural indecent assault of a daughter by the natural father. I think that judging this situation as 'there is not love between the couple anymore situation ' is far from the truth. what to me seems more real is that certain people should not be allowed to be married for the simple reason that they lack the qualities needed to be part of a partnership where goodwill leads to understanding, understanding leads to tolerance , tolerance leads to respect, respect leads to self esteem, self esteem leads to growth, and growth leads to bonding which is love.
Franco Farrugia
Jul 31st 2010, 10:03
That's right. And we continue harping against separation and against divorce. For many children, having parents away from each other would be heaven on earth. Even for the parents themselves. 'Why is it that we are so friendly and civilised when we are separated? And then we are at each other's throats when under the same roof? is what we many times hear. So, give a break to this idea that divorce is unfair for children. Divorce is brought about when there is no more love between the couple - and that is when the trouble starts. Violence in the home? There is no love present, there!