Witnesses who are also victims: the effects of exposure to domestic violence on the development of children and adolescents

For a long time, children living in homes marked by violence between adults were treated as bystanders to a problem that did not directly concern them. Through a narrative review of national and international literature, this article discusses the effects of exposure to domestic violence on the development of children and adolescents, even when no physical aggression is directed at them. Metaanalyses, longitudinal and neuroimaging studies, intervention trials, national victimization surveys and Brazilian and foreign legal frameworks were examined. The analysis indicates that exposure is consistently associated with emotional, behavioral and school problems and with trauma symptoms, that it frequently co-occurs with direct maltreatment and that it may alter biological stress response processes and brain development. The evidence also shows that violence damages the relationship between mother and children and that some exposed children maintain positive adaptation trajectories, especially when they have the bond of a protective adult and preserved maternal mental health. The article concludes that exposed children should be recognized as direct victims and that institutional responses must integrate the protection of women and children, with interventions that strengthen the relationship between them.