Since the onset of COVID-19, economic, social and political tensions have increased nationwide. As a result, many speculate that domestic violence has increased as well.
Domestic violence affects people of all ages in various ways, and one of the most devastating repercussions of domestic violence is the effect that it has on children.
Children who were exposed to violence in the home were 15 times more likely “to be physically and/or sexually assaulted than the national average,” according to a 2006 report by UNICEF.
In addition, children who are affected by domestic violence often have higher rates of anxiety and depression, isolate themselves from others, or develop ambivalent and apathetic feelings toward their parents, according to Promising Futures Without Violence, an organization dedicated to providing resources to those who are affected by domestic violence.
As Domestic Violence Awareness Month comes to a close, many Arizona students are returning to in-person learning, which means that schools will once again become a primary resource for students who may be affected by domestic violence.
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Jenna Panas, the CEO of the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (ACESDV), emphasized that schools are very important in the fight to end domestic violence.
Panas explained that students who are affected by domestic violence may feel isolated or alone. Building a supportive network of students, staff and faculty who will acknowledge and talk about domestic abuse is invaluable to these students.
Additionally, Panas said that violence, often gender-based, is a direct result of systemic oppression from many systems put in place within our country, one of these systems being schools themselves.
“Schools are the systems that educate people about how to behave in the future, and in order to be change-makers and leaders, we need schools to be able to name and acknowledge (domestic violence),” Panas said. “In order to be the change agent that schools should be, they should be training younger generations about individual responsibility and accountability.”
Panas explained that one of the most important — and perhaps the easiest — steps in helping students who are affected by domestic violence is simply believing students.
Maggie Masters, a 20-year-old downtown Phoenix resident who was affected by domestic violence in their childhood, echoed similar sentiments.
Masters said that if a student trusts an adult’s presence in their life enough to tell that adult about the problems that they may be experiencing, the best thing the adult can do is listen to and believe the student.
“Just listen to the child. Even if they don’t fully understand the issues causing the violence, they know when something is wrong,” Masters said.
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Many schools in Arizona have taken steps toward addressing similar issues by allowing guest speakers from organizations like Bloom365, an organization that works with students to educate them about teen dating violence, to come to speak to students.
However, most of these lessons are sporadic and inconsistent. Panas said these issues could be better addressed by being consistently and frequently discussed within schools.
If you or anyone you know may be experiencing domestic violence, please call the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence’s hotline to talk with a victim service specialist and create a plan for safety: 602-279-2980.
If you or someone you know needs help urgently, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233.
Phoenix Elementary School District declined to comment about the resources available to the students affected by domestic violence within their school district. Phoenix Union High School District was reached for comment but did not respond.
Contact the reporter at clparri2@asu.edu.
Cami is Downtown Devil's co-executive editor. Cami is a third-year student studying print journalism and political science. When she's not writing or editing, she enjoys hosting radio shows, playing piano and bass, and teaching art classes at a local art studio.
