Thank you for the question.
In the last few years, research concerning children who live in a spousal violence situation has evolved considerably, whereas not so long ago, we thought that this violence only affected the adults. Then we talked about child witnesses.
At present, the research and work on coercive control tend to show that spousal violence is not an act that lasts an instant, or a series of acts that last an instant; rather, it is a dynamic of control and deprivation of freedom that is used on an everyday basis applying varying violent and non-violent strategies. Once we have that understanding of spousal violence, it is easy to understand that in a situation where varying non-violent and violent strategies are used on an everyday basis to control their mother or deprive her of freedom, children live in an atmosphere of tension, fear and terror every day.
There is a phenomenon that we are increasingly seeing on the part of violent men who use varying control and domination strategies against women and impose rules that the others must obey, on an everyday basis: often, these men will demand the same things of the children and take the same attitude toward them. As a result, children who are living in a spousal violence situation are very often targets or direct victims of the husband's controlling and violent behaviours.
As well, we are increasingly recognizing that a child living in a spousal violence situation, whether or not the child is present during violent incidents, and whether or not the child is a direct victim of the violence, is living in an atmosphere of tension in which meeting the child's needs is not a priority. Generally, the father's violence and control strategies, and the repercussions of those behaviours for the mother and for the functioning of the whole family, cause a decline in meeting the child's needs.
We really need a better understanding of these children's lives and we have to take that into account in our laws and our policies.