When law enforcement officers respond to calls about domestic violence, they often see children cowering in a corner, caught in the middle of a situation they don’t understand.
Statesville Police Officer Attrie Wooten, domestic violence specialist for the Statesville Police Department, said that in some 100 domestic violence cases handled by the SPD in recent weeks, children have been present in more than half.
Wooten spoke at a recent session on domestic violence that focused on toxic stress in early childhood. She said that some of the cases met the criteria to be turned over to the Department of Social Services, but in nearly every case involving children, the recommendation is to seek counseling for the family.
Brandi Knight, intensive in-home team leader with Easter Seals, said even infants can be affected by a stressful environment. She said research shows that even when they are sleeping, infants react to angry voices.
Children, she said, are most vulnerable to stressful situations in the early years of life because their brains are undergoing the most rapid development.
Children often forgotten victims of domestic violence
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