Distorted Childhoods: The Meaning of Violence for Children

Gabrielle Maxwell, Janis Carroll-Lind

The nature of violence towards children has been defined by adult conceptions of violence. The research described here aimed, instead, to examine children’s perspectives on what is violent for them and the impact that violent events have on their lives.

By understanding what children believe hurts them or makes them fearful, we believe that it will be possible to extend knowledge of how children can be protected and what incidents deserve attention if harm is to be reduced. The definition of violence in the Domestic Violence Act 1995 extends earlier physically based conceptions to include psychological abuse, including being witness to violence.

The validity of this extension is borne out by the results of our research, which showed that the most often-reported “worst things that ever happened to you” were someone close dying, being physically or emotionally bullied by other children, watching adults fight, and parents separating or divorcing. While not minimising the effects of direct physical violence in the family, in particular, this study identifies previously under-recognised situations where harm can be prevented, or where those at risk can be protected, and looks at how we can respond.