Children as Witnesses to Domestic Violence in the Light of Research

The aim of this work is to gain a general knowledge of the possible effects on the health and function of an individual who was a witness to domestic violence as a child. Although nowadays much attention is devoted to direct victims of a crime, children are still often ignored. A majority of society has a false presumption that the children are not affected by adult problems because they are not aware of them or they are too young to understand the situation. Many studies have confirmed that even toddlers perceive a negative environment and react to it. This thesis, based on extensive foreign research, describes a spectrum of social, psychological and health consequences caused by the aforementioned trauma which can sooner or later affect a young person. Keywords: domestic violence, aggression, children, trauma, bahaviour problems, psychological problems, health impact