Get out for theirs. This means all of you in abusive relationships. Watching their mothers get beaten has serious mental health consequences for children:
The researchers, led by Dr. Andrea L. Hazen of the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center in San Diego, based their conclusions on data collected from 2020 U.S. families who had been investigated by Child Protective Services for suspected child abuse or neglect.
They found that mothers who said they'd been seriously abused by their partner -- beaten, choked or threatened with a weapon -- generally reported more emotional and behavioral problems in their 4- to 14-year-old children.
A mother's own behavior did play a role in this association, the study found. That is, women who were physically abused were more likely than other women to be aggressive toward their children or to use physical punishment, and this partially explained the higher rates of depression, anxiety and aggressive behavior among their children.
However, there was still a clear effect of simply witnessing abuse, Hazen and her colleagues found.
So if you're thinking it's okay because, really, he doesn't hit or threaten the kids, just you--it's NOT okay. You are doing your children no favors. Do whatever you have to do to get out. You can do it. Women do it every day, women no braver than you and with no more resources than you.
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