Advocates for Family Peace (AFFP) promotes non-violence by providing services for people in abusive relationships. Children and teens often witness or experience abuse and we address their needs in our programming. Please follow these links for more information:
 | If you are concerned about yourself or a child in your life, read about the warning signs of abused children and what children experience growing up in a violent home. |
| To find out more about the needs of abused children and ways you can help them, click here. |
| Learn helpful strategies to keep your children safe from abuse. |
| Teenagers may experience violence at home or in intimate relationships. Click here for more information specifically for teenagers. |
We also offer a Youth Support Group. Click here to learn more.
Warning signs of abused children:*
*Please note that these warning signs could indicate other issues. Warning signs may differ for male and female children.
Warning signs of all ages:
1. Children living in violent homes may have unusual or unexplained injuries. These may also include injuries that are in various stages of healing.
3. Signs of neglect such as dirty clothes, poor hygeine, or excessive hunger may be present in children living in violent homes.
4. A child living in a violent home may withdraw from everyone around them.
5. A child living in a violent home may show signs of depression or have low self-esteem.
6. Children living in violent homes may use violence in order to solve conflicts that arise.
7. A child living in a violent home may have a hard time falling or staying asleep. They may also fall asleep during school.
8. Children living in a violent home may experience flashbacks or nightmares.
9. A difficulty in expressing emotions other than anger is a symptom of a child living in a violent home.
10. A child living in a violent home may experience problems in school included frequent absences, fights, and fatigue.
11. A child living in a violent home may act overly responsible.
Warning signs of preschool children:
1. A preschool child living in a violent home may cry often.
2. A child living in a violent home may either want to be held all of the time, or may not want to be held or touched.
3. A young child living in a violent home may often hit, kick, or bite.
4. Stuttering is another symptom of a preschool child who is living in a violent home.
5. A child living in a violent home may often regress into sucking their thumb, wetting the bed, along with other activities of a younger child.
Warning signs of school-aged children:
1. A school-aged child living in a violent home may have trouble concentrating at school.
2. A child living in a violent home may have an unusual amount of knowledge about violence or sex for their age.
3. Fighting, bullying, or self-abuse may indicate that a child is living in a violent home.
4. Children living in a violent home may steal, cheat, or lie.
5. Children living in a violent home may regress into using baby talk and other tactics in order to get constant attention.
Warning signs of teenagers:
1. A teenager living in a violent home may frequently run away from home or drop out of school.
2. A teenager living in a violent home may attract STDs, become pregnant, or participate in prostitution.
3. Joining a gang, committing crimes, or using weapons are indicators that a teenager is living in a violent home.
4. Teenagers living in a violent home may begin having problems with alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.
5. A teenager who is living in a violent home may begin talking about or attempt to commit suicide.
What children experience growing up in a violent home:
1.
Danger- Children may become
the intended victims in domestic violence. They also may accidentally get caught in the middle of the
violence and be hurt or even killed.
2.
Chaos- Moods change quickly in
an abusive household, so children are never sure what to expect.
This puts a child on guard at all times.
3.
Fear and Tension- Children in
violent homes will become afraid of everyone and everything because they never
know what to expect. They will
generally learn not to trust anyone. They
begin to believe that anyone can hurt them, so it is better to just stay away.
4.
Confusion- The child in a
violent home learns that hitting is used to solve problems.
However, those outside the home are telling them that hitting is wrong.
5.
Isolation- In violent
families, the family generally becomes cut off from the outside world.
The child then withdraws from friends and adults.
This includes adults who may be able to help the child and the family.
6.
Hopelessness- A child in a
violent home will often blame themselves for the violence.
They also feel that they are powerless to prevent or stop the violence as
well as being unable to escape from it. This
hopelessness then leads to guilt for
not being able to change the situation.
7.
Children in violent homes are frequently exposed to alcohol and drugs in the home.
8. Children in violent homes will frequently develop a love/hate relationship with his/her parents. They will love the abusive parent, but will be angry with him/her for being abusive. The child will also love the abused parent, but will be angry with him/her for not leaving the situation.