"When night falls": Violence against women and its repercussions on children and adolescents

Abstract

Violence against women is a profound global injustice. It is a major obstacle to fulfilling the human rights of women and their children. Confined to their aggressors, women exposed to this violence have even greater difficulty in accessing support networks and care services. Furthermore, the economic impact of the pandemic, which disproportionately affected women, created additional barriers. In reality, however, femicide is forgotten, underestimated, and poorly prosecuted throughout the world. In this context, more than 100 children witnessed a murder or were at home when it took place. This form of indirect violence is vicarious, in which children are left out, anonymous, and invisible. The trauma generated potentiates mentalization difficulties, emotional dependence, and instability in future relationships, caused by pain and psychological suffering.

Keywords: Femicide; Kids; Oppressors; Teenagers; Trauma; Violence; Women.