Domestic violence Domestic violence is a social problem that affects individuals, families and the communities in which they live. Public awareness and understanding of domestic violence has increased dramatically in recent decades. This knowledge has highlighted the prevalence of families suffering in violent environments. This new understanding has given rise to many resources, agencies and services designed to combat the harmful and lasting effects of domestic violence and to provide help to its victims. Domestic violence: what is it? Who does it hit? Domestic violence is physical or sexual aggression that occurs between two people within a relationship (domesticviolence.org, 2009). Examples of personal relationships that may be affected by domestic violence include people who are married, unmarried, dating, cohabiting, gay, and lesbian (domesticviolence.org, 2009). It is important to remember that the victims are not only women, but also men. Men who are abused by female or male partners suffer the same debilitating effects. The victims of domestic violence are not only the abused men and women who suffer it, but also the children who witness it. A report by Low and Mulford (2012) estimates that approximately 30% of children will witness domestic violence at some point in their lives. Additionally, the negative impact of domestic violence on these children will likely cause developmental problems in one or more of the following areas: social, emotional, cognitive, and/or behavioral (p. 1). The negative effects of witnessing domestic violence may vary depending on the age of the child. Behaviors associated with PTSD that infants may exhibit, such as: “Sleep disturbances, night terrors, s...... middle of paper ...... reading programs discriminate against male victims. Retrieved from http://saveservices.org/pdf/SAVE-VAWA-Discriminates-Against-Males.pdfSegal, EA (2013) Welfare Policy and Social Programs (3rd ed.) U.S. Department of Justice (2013) . Office on Violence Against Women: Retrieved from http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/overview.htmTjaden, P., & Thoennes, N. National Institute of Justice & The Center for Disease Control, (2000). Consequences of intimate partner violence: Results from the National Survey on Violence Against Women (NCJ 181867. Retrieved from the National Institute of Justice website: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/181867.pdfTrunk, P. (2012, January 1). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2012/01/01/zero-tolerance-for-domestic-violence-is-wrong./