Nursery World - Violence at home affects a million children

Nearly one million children in Britain are living with domestic violence and could be suffering physical, emotional and social development setbacks as a result, according to a United Nations report published last week. 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, 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.

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