Anchorage Daily News

There's a hidden childhood epidemic in Alaska that gets worse during the holiday season. It is particularly harmful to the developing brains of infants and toddlers. I can predict the physical, mental, behavioral and cognitive problems that children exposed to this toxin are likely to experience.

What is this virulent agent that can leave a lifelong imprint on children?

Domestic violence -- and we can do something about it.

Domestic violence is not just the physical abuse that children witness in an adult relationship. Domestic violence is about fear, chaos and the uncertainty of not knowing what's going to happen next. The one place that children should truly feel safe -- their home -- can be the scariest place of all.

Children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to suffer from stomach problems, bed wetting and loss of bowel control, chronic headaches and sleep problems. They are at much higher risk of depression as well as anxiety and attachment disorders.

Children blame themselves for the violence -- and as they grow older the burden of this guilt becomes heavier and heavier. Some turn to alcohol and drugs. When their guilt and anger become overwhelming, they are at higher risk for self-harm and suicide.

Trauma disrupts healthy brain development, which leads to speech problems, reading deficits, developmental regression, problems regulating emotions and more aggressive behaviors. Because these children use more of the "survival" areas of the brain, the parts that govern survival instincts, they tend to be more impulsive and hyperactive.

As Alaskans, we need to take action now to turn the tide of family violence.

Educating families about the effects of violence on children can be empowering for the one in five Alaskans who grew up in homes with domestic violence. Parents tell me it helps them to understand their own protective and coping behaviors that are often rooted in adverse childhood experiences.

I have seen firsthand how recognizing the predictable consequences of childhood exposure to violence can lead to more appropriate interventions. Informed caregivers learn to respond supportively versus in a punitive way that often leads to more negative behaviors.

For example, repeated night waking, in which a child gets up every few hours to check that everything is OK, is very common in children exposed to domestic violence. A frustrated parent may see this behavior as a child being difficult or defiant. An informed caregiver understands that this child needs to be reassured and may check on the child every few hours until they feel more secure.

Alaska needs to create a comprehensive community safety net for children exposed to violence. Connecting with a healthy adult is the most powerful protective factor we know of for these children. I have heard countless stories from children as well as adults of how a teacher, public health nurse, police officer or pastor reached out to them and gave them hope.

We need to connect children suffering in silence to trauma-informed community services. We need to tap into all available resources, from Head Start to home visits to children's support groups, to help these children learn healthy coping strategies and social skills. Domestic violence is a learned behavior, so we must intervene early to help children learn alternatives to violence.

We can expand our safety net by helping every Alaskan to recognize the signs of domestic violence and understand how to reach out to adults and children who suffer from it. The Alaska Family Violence Prevention Project does excellent work in this area.

As caring adults, we can talk to kids about healthy relationships, set good examples and reduce daily exposure to violence by setting limits on what children see on television, video games and other media. That's how we can all start to make a difference.

Dr. Linda Chamberlain, an epidemiologist, is the founding director of the Alaska Family Violence Prevention Project with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.

ADVERTISEMENT