ABSTRACT

Witnessing domestic violence (WDV) is a highly stressful and potentially traumatic event. Approximately 15.5 million children in the U.S. witness DV annually [1]. Although many parents try to shelter their children from WDV, children in violent homes commonly see, hear, and intervene in episodes of WDV [2]. WDV increases risk for depression [3] and aggression [4], [5] by 2-4 fold, and is a frequent causes of childhood PTSD [6], [7].