Effects on Individuals

The experience of abuse can have different effects depending on different people and can also depend on what happened. People who witness abuse, be it physical, emotional or sexual may also be affected.

Feelings include anger, guilt, fear and isolation.

Mental health can be affected and may lead to self-harm, low self-esteem, depression, withdrawal.

Physical health can be affected and may lead to bed wetting, injury, exhaustion, asthma, eczema, eating disorders, accidents.

For children invovled in cases of domestic abuse there may also be loss of home, family, school, friends and possessions due to homelessness, social exclusion or poverty.

If you are being abused
....it is NOT your fault.

This section: effects of violence

Your behaviour affects other people.

You may belong to many groups - family, school, local town, football team, local gang, friendship groups... Think about groups you belong to and how you behave together.

When you are in a group that you very strongly identify with, such as supporters of your local football team, you may react with the rest of the group by becoming angry when the team loses and overjoyed when the team wins. It can feel good to be part of a group.

You may act differently when you are with a different group or when you are on your own or at home. If you are a shy person and don't normally feel you have much power, you may feel that when you are part of a group, it can make you feel more powerful.

No excuses

However, being part of a group is no excuse for violent behaviour. What you might see as being a bit of a laugh or just a bit of fun, such as vandalism or graffiti or shouting abuse at someone, other people may find scarey or threatening. They may become very worried about their own safety or about things that belong to them. The police may become involved, you could get into serious trouble if they think that your behaviour is becoming dangerous and you could even get an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) against you.