Anthropology is the study of humankind, and the concept of culture is central to the anthropology discipline. Among the areas studied by sociocultural anthropologists are social networks, social behavior, socialization, gender, kinship patterns, beliefs and other expressions of culture. The family as a social group lends itself as an object of study by anthropologists. Within this category is the issue of domestic violence. The Family Violence Prevention Fund defines domestic violence as a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks as well as economic coercion, that adults or adolescents use against their intimate partners (Feldhaus, 2001). Most frequently, domestic violence refers to abuse occurring between intimate partners, or ex-partners. Because of the high proportion of female victims (90 percent or more), the general perception of domestic violence is that it is a phenomenon of the victimization of women by men (Hastings, 2001). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2002) classified violence against women as a substantial public health problem in the United States. The victims of domestic violence each year in the United States represent one out of every 14 women in domestic partner relationships. The physical and psychological trauma experienced by the victims is harmful to victims, families, and society (Monahan & O'Leary, 1999). This research will examine the question of whether witnessing domestic violence perpetrated upon their mothers leads to mental illness in children.
A report issued by the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence on the Impact of Domestic Violence on Children (2005) stated that witnessing domestic violence can be devastating for children, and is detrimental to the emotional, developmental and physical well being of those children. Many children exhibit signs of post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing do...