The report, Behind Closed Doors: The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children, from a joint study by the United Nations Secretary General's Study on Violence Against Children and Body Shop International, estimates that as many as 963,000 children in the UKhave witnessed violence against a parent or caregiver, while more than 275 million children could be affected worldwide.
The report said that children exposed to violence could suffer from low self-esteem, aggression and behavioural and adjustment problems. They are more likely to have trouble with school work, show poor concentration and have 40 per cent lower reading abilities than their peers from non-violent homes.
Nicola Harwin, chief executive of the domestic violence charity Women's Aid, said, 'It is frequently underestimated how much even very young children can be aware of violence in the home. The Women's Aid website for children and young people at www.thehideout.org.uk helps to explain that the violence is not their fault, that they are not alone and that they can get help.'
In the same week, the Body Shop launched its 2006 'Stop Violence in the Home' campaign, which calls for policymakers to raise awareness of the impact of domestic violence on children.
