ABSTRACT
Marital violence was once 'thought of as either a family secret or acceptable behaviour within a patriarchal society'. The spotlight beamed on physical and sexual abuse has made the darkness even murkier for other faces of child abuse. Children caught up in marital violence are still very much in the shadows. Violence between parents teaches children so many bad lessons. Children learn that violence is an appropriate form of conflict resolution which has a place within family interaction. Wife-abusing families are a breeding ground for sexism. Inequality of power, inequality in decision-making and rigid sex roles are encouraged. Love means possession, while disagreement is equated with hostility. Children in violent homes cannot gradually and appropriately learn about autonomy. The family locked in domestic violence is often isolated from the community. The child experiences family members as isolated from one another.
