title: Child-witnessed domestic violence and its adverse effects on brain development: a call for societal self-examination and awareness.
abstract: There is substantial evidence indicating that children who witness domestic violence (DV) have psychosocial maladaptation that is associated with demonstrable changes in the anatomic and physiological make up of their central nervous system. Individuals with these changes do not function well in society and present communities with serious medical, sociological, and economic dilemmas. In this focused perspective, we discuss the psychosocially induced biological alterations (midbrain, cerebral cortex, limbic system, corpus callosum, cerebellum, and the hypothalamic, pituitary, and adrenal axis) that are related to maladaptation (especially post-traumatic stress disorder) in the context of child-witnessed DV, and provide evidence for these physical alterations to the brain. Herein, we hope to stimulate the necessary political discourse to encourage legal systems around the world to make the act of DV in the presence of a child, including a first time act, a stand-alone felony.
authors.affiliation: Lucas County Prosecutor's Office, Victim Witness Assistance Program , Toledo, OH , USA.
authors.forename: Areti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsavoussis
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Innovation, St. Luke's University Health Network, Temple University School of Medicine , Bethlehem, PA , USA.
authors.forename: Stanislaw P A
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Stawicki
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center , Columbus, OH , USA.
authors.forename: Nicoleta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stoicea
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center , Columbus, OH , USA.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Papadimos
keywords: Ohio; central nervous system; child abuse; domestic violence; endocrine system; pediatrics; philosophy; post-traumatic stress disorder