According to the Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence:
Infants
- Basic need for attachment is disrupted
- Routines around feeding/sleeping are disturbed
- Injuries while “caught in the crossfire”
- Irritability or inconsolable crying
- Frequent illness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Diarrhea
- Developmental delays
- Lack of responsiveness
Preschool
- Somatic or psychosomatic complaints
- Regression
- Irritability
- Fearful of being alone
- Extreme separation anxiety
- Developmental delays
- Sympathetic toward mother
Elementary Age
- Vacillate between being eager to please and being hostile
- Verbal about home life
- Developmental delays
- Externalized behavior problems
- Inadequate social skill development
- Gender role modeling creates conflict/confusion
Preadolescence
- Behavior problems become more serious
- Increased internalized behavior difficulties: depression, isolation, withdrawal
- Emotional difficulties: shame, fear, confusion, rage
- Poor social skills
- Developmental delays
- Protection of mother, sees her as “weak”
- Guarded/secretive about family
Adolescence
- Internalized and externalized behavior problems can become extreme and dangerous: drug/alcohol, truancy, gangs, sexual acting out, pregnancy, runaway, suicidal.
- Dating relationships may reflect violence learned or witnessed in the home.
