Domestic Violence Affect on Children

When you think of domestic violence, you normally think of adult couples as the players and victims, but children living in the center of the violence fall victim too. Domestic violence cases occur throughout the country, even right here in Northeast Louisiana. Take the case of 22-year-old Derek Shelbon of Monroe. He admitted to killing his stepfather for allegedly abusing his mother and is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday morning. Apparently domestic abuse had a profound affect on Shelbon, as it has many other children in our area. As a child Jason Johnson says he often witnessed incidents of domestic violence in his home. Johnsons father verbally and physically abused him and his mother until he was eight years old. He says its something he will never overcome. "It scared me to the bone, to the core, to the fabric of my being forever. I will never be the complete man that I could have been having a different father," said Johnson. He says the horrors of his childhood still affect him when he thinks back on it now. "It makes you mad when you start thinking about it again. It pains you. Theres really nothing I can say to describe my childhood except hell." The Wellspring in Monroe reaches out to people dealing with domestic abuse. They say children exposed to adult violence in their homes may have short and long-term physical, emotional and learning problems "Sometimes they will act out in school, have a lot of anxiety, difficulty sleeping." Valerie Bowman, the Director of Domestic Abuse said the child may also continue the pattern of violence as they grow up.. "Especially boys will act out a lot of aggression that they see and also women when they grow up will fall into those types of relationships where they are being abused." Johnson says he will not be a part of the vicious cycle, “the dysfunction has to end somewhere. His father was an abuser, my father was an abuser. I am not going to be an abuser. I refuse to be an abuser." And he has a warning for anyone in an abusive relationship. “Get out. Its not helping anybody and all youre doing is enabling the abuser to continue to do it." Bowman says its important to reassure children that domestic violence is not their fault and give them the opportunity to talk about the situation. You can contact the Wellspring 24/7 and speak with trained counselors there. That number is (318)323-1543. (Copyright 2008, NBC 10/FOX 14 News, Written by Casey Ferrand)