Babies and very young children do not need to understand to respond emotionally and physically to domestic violence. For example, the heart rate of very young children increases in response to the sound of an adult screaming or crying. Regardless of whether children witness domestic violence, they are affected. They pick up on the mood of their parents, and they ‘tune in’ to the atmosphere.
Furthermore, a parents’ capacity to develop a healthy attachment to the baby through shared positive experiences is dramatically reduced when that parent is constantly on edge, upset or frightened. This lack of attachment in the early years can lead to compounded trauma and anxiety based issues later in childhood, adolescence or adulthood.