Hundreds of Warrnambool children witness family violence in the home

Jayne Hatherall from Warrnambool family violence service Emma House said children were the silent victims, deeply impacted by violence and coercive behaviour at home.

More than 200 children witnessed family violence incidents in Warrnambool in a 12-month period, a new Crime Statistics Agency report has revealed.

Per 100,000 population, 212 children witnessed incidents in 2018-19, with Warrnambool listed in the top 20 local government areas in Victoria where child witnesses were recorded.

Also listed in the top 20 was Colac-Otway shire region with 108 children and Southern Grampians with 88.

The new research, which provides a first look at police-recorded child witnesses of family violence, showed the rate of incidents was nearly twice as high in regional and remote areas than major cities.

Ms Hatherall said 47 per cent of women who attended Emma House had three or more children with them.

She said family violence created trauma, disrupted healthy attachments and impeded childhood development.

"The terminology 'witnessing' implies there's distance, that the child is simply watching it unfold or is separate to the violence or abuse that is occurring inside the home," Ms Hatherall said.

"But a child doesn't have to be sighting the violence, or be perpetrated against, for them to be deeply affected by the abuse."

Ms Hatherall said child victim-survivors were constantly on edge and hyper-vigilant to their own safety, as well as the offending and non-offending parent.

"Looking at children who have experienced the trauma of family violence, they're often disorganised cognitively and emotionally, their behaviours and thinking appear very chaotic and their memory is impacted," she said.

"Trauma causes disconnection and disruption of their sense of self. It can can have huge impact on a child and young person's understanding of who they are and their place in the world.

"But they're also highly resourceful, incredibly resilient and have a very developed sense of how the world works."

At Emma House, Ms Hatherall and fellow specialist therapeutic children's practitioner Hannah Chisholm work directly with child victim-survivors, as well as the non-offending parent.

"As we know, family violence is a parenting choice and those who perpetrate family violence in a relationship are choosing to attack that parent-child bond," Ms Hatherall said.

"We do a lot of work in recovery and restoration of relationships that have been severed and ruptured due to family violence.

"We offer direct therapeutic support, trauma therapy and groups programs."

Ms Hatherall said despite a number of positive movements against family violence, a child's "lived-in experience" of violence was still an invisible one.

"I'm hopeful that we will see a children's movement where we start to really raise the visibility and voices of children who have lived experiences of domestic abuse and family violence," she said.

"There is a long way to go before we can say that we are routinely and listening to the voices of children."

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT or 1800RESPECT.org.au.

Contact Emma House through 1800 EMMADV or emmahouse.org.au.

Safe Steps for women after hours 188 015 188. In emergencies, call 000.

Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.