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Services are available to children who witness domestic violence and to children who have experienced abuse. Odyssey works with the family in addressing the needs of children. With young children, play therapy is employed as a powerful tool to help with their feelings of being traumatized and frightened after experiences with domestic violence. Many children feel responsible for the abuse in their homes and experience:
• Feelings of abandonment and loss
• A sense of vulnerability and distrust
• Anger and fear
• Low self-worth
• Sleep disturbances
• Regression to younger behavior
• Patterns of aggressive behavior
Therapy is aimed at helping children to manage the fear and distrust of growing up in a violent home. It is important for them to externalize the abuse to begin to develop positive self-worth.
Early intervention is the key to this program. As parents work to take responsibility for their own behaviors, the child’s experience is heard, validated, and addressed. Feedback to parents, along with mandated reports of child abuse by the therapists to the child welfare system, help to underscore that the child’s safety is primary. Odyssey’s commitment is that the cycle of violence is broken with this generation.
Comments from parents include:
“The kids don’t feel they are alone.
They learn others have gone through what they have.”
“For several days after group, my child’s behavior improves. She is more calm and respectful of others and especially respectful of me.”
“They learn about identifying and forming safe relationships.”
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