This resource can help Head Start programs learn what domestic violence is and how it affects children and families. It also features resources for children and families experiencing domestic violence.
Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behavior that one partner in a romantic or intimate relationship uses to gain and maintain power and control over another partner. It is not an isolated, individual event. Domestic violence can involve several tactics, such as physical, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse.
Domestic violence can happen to anyone. It doesn’t matter whether couples are married, living together, dating, or hooking up.
Relationships where one partner is using violence to control another partner can also involve stalking and sexual assault and rape.
Children of either partner may be direct victims of abuse or suffer from exposure to the violence. Learn more about how children respond to stress and trauma.
Who is affected by domestic violence?
According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey,
- More than one-third of women in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetimes
- Approximately one in seven men have experienced severe physical violence from an intimate partner during their lifetime
Studies suggest that 15.5 million children in the United States witness domestic violence each year, and more than one-third of children have been exposed to domestic violence by age 17.
How does domestic violence affect children and families?
It is important to remember that the impacts of domestic violence may look different for every individual and family. Research shows that all young children who experience domestic violence are affected. Children may experience different effects, depending on the type of exposure, as well as genetic and environmental factors. Therefore, it is important to partner with parent and child survivors to tailor your support.
Young children’s response to experiencing domestic violence depends on a number of factors, including age, type and severity of the violence experienced, sex, temperament, and access to protective factors. Protective factors are conditions or attributes of individuals, families, communities, or the larger society that can help to reduce or eliminate risk and promote well-being. Stronger protective factors in families can increase the probability of achieving positive outcomes, even in the face of adversity.
Domestic violence can affect children’s ability to learn and grow. It can also lead to developmental delays, inability to manage emotions, impaired ability to focus, and trouble with learning.
Young children from birth to age 5 who witness or experience domestic violence may also experience:
- Generalized anxiety
- Trouble sleeping or nightmares
- Inability to sit still or hyperactivity
- Increased aggression or withdrawal
- Increased separation anxiety and worries about their parent’s safety
- Increased startle response and increased fussiness
- Trouble nursing or eating
- Loss of acquired skills
- Disrupted attachment relationship with their parent
There is a significant relationship between prolonged childhood experiences of abuse and violence and the resulting toxic stress response. This includes negative adult physical and mental health outcomes, such as heart disease, stroke, depression, suicide attempts, sexually transmitted diseases, and substance abuse.
A person’s identity influences their experience of and response to domestic violence. Support for families should take into consideration their cultures, identities, and life experiences.
Helpful Resources
Relationships with supportive adults are key to help children who have experienced domestic violence heal and thrive.
Children who have the ability to do well or develop resilience often have a combination of biological resistance to adversity and strong relationships with the adults in their lives, such as parents, other family members, teachers, coaches, and health care providers who can offer support. Learn more about the science of resilience.
For Providers Partnering with Families
- Childhood Trauma: Changing Minds™
- VAWnet: National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
- Ujima: The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community
- Asian Pacific Institute on Sex-based Violence
- Esperanza United
Hotlines and Crisis Counseling for Families
- National Domestic Violence Hotline 24/7 in multiple languages (toll-free) 800-799-7233
- StrongHearts Native Helpline 24/7 (toll-free) 844-762-8483
- National Network to End Domestic Violence: Find Services in Your State
- Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline 24/7 (toll-free) 800-422-4453
- Love Is Respect National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline (toll-free) 866‐331‐9474
- Esperanza United 24/7 in Spanish and English 651-772-1611
« Go to Preventing and Responding to Domestic Violence
Read more:
Resource Type: Publication
National Centers: Parent, Family and Community Engagement
Audience: Family Service Workers
Last Updated: July 18, 2025