Women become victims of domestic violence to protect kids

ANROWS released its study into domestic and family violence and parenting this week.

“Approximately one third or more of parents in the general community experience domestic family violence,” the report stated.

“Motherhood and the act of mothering is a unique and powerful role for women, one that abusive men often want to interrupt and control.

“Despite women’s attempts to maintain an effective mothering role and protect children, the majority of evidence in this paper suggests a struggle for abused women to parent effectively.”

Women’s Health Goulburn North East executive officer Susie Reid said the number victims in the area could be more than one third of parents because domestic violence was more severe in rural areas.

“Preventing family violence comes back to equal relationships – the power and control,” she said.

“Witnessing FV socialises children in unequal gender roles that men are powerful and women are submissive.

“The cycle continues as the roles of men and women are defined.”

Ms Reid said men simply needed to stop abusing women.

When WHGNE was operating its Bsafe emergency alarms, 80 per cent of the at-risk women had children to protect.

The organisation had also come across stories of mothers and pregnant women who would put themselves at risk to protect their children.

“They are active in protecting their children,” Ms Reid said.

“There is always room for further research on family violence and its effects, but what we already know is that it is devastating.”

The ANROWS study found more interventions for mother-child victims of domestic violence needed to be developed.

“Abusive men as fathers have been characterised by researchers and victims as authoritarian, under-involved, self-centred and manipulative,” the report stated.