Domestic Violence, Children’s Experiences of

Domestic violence is typically defined as ‘violence experienced’ in the context of an intimate partnership. Partners may be cohabiting, not cohabiting, or separated. The contemporary theorisation of domestic violence not only stresses the element of physical violence but also the more psychological, social, and psychospatial aspects of coercion and control. While children are often not understood under the law to be direct victims of domestic violence, they do nonetheless experience significant harm when violence occurs in their families. This entry examines research on children’s experiences of domestic violence. Specifically, this entry tracks the shift from a tendency to view children as passive witnesses or damaged victims to agents who can experience harm and be resilient.