Assessing the Risk to Children From Batterers

This article examines the risk to children from men who batter, as well as offers ways to assess the risk that children face. This article begins by clarifying that the risk to children from men who batter does not decrease once there has been a separation. In fact, the risk to children may actually increase (citing Bancroft and Silverman, 2002, and Langford, Isaac and Kabat, 1999). The authors of his current article suggest that while men who batter and their abused partners are together, battered women may act in ways to mediate and protect children from the violence and abuse of men who batter. From here, the authors list the sources of possible physical and psychological injury to children as a result of their contact with men who batter: · Risk of exposure to threats or acts of violence towards their mother Children witness a large percentage of physical and sexual violence as well as threats; and may be physically injured during such assaults. · Risk of undermining mother-child relationships One battering tactic is to use the children and undermine the relationship between the child and the mother. The relationship between the child and the non-abusive parent ca