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Marital Abuse Can Destroy Mental Health in Women and Kids
Living in a home with constant marital abuse is a sure bet to damage children’s mental health and sense of security.
How many times have we heard the advice given to women in abusive marital relationships, "Stay together for the kids." The advice is well-intended but totally off the mark for both the children's and the mother's mental health, as research has shown.
Remaining in an abusive relationship, in a household where abuse is the answer to everything, is an unhealthy situation, and everyone will pay a price in the future; the children are especially at risk. Another old chestnut of advice to women is to "Have a baby, and that will keep the marriage together." Again, this is no resolution to abuse, which must be dealt with, and pregnancy is not the answer. In fact, research shows that when women are pregnant, they are much more likely to result in worse violence and even death by their abuser.
Homicides involving intimate partner violence and weapons are associated with a lethal combination of pregnant women and new mothers in the United States, outnumbering deaths from obstetric reasons. What about children in these situations of abuse?
