The harm to children

Children who experience harmful conflict (even during pregnancy) are more likely to have developmental physical and mental issues, experience behavioural problems, depression or anxiety and, do less well at school and in friendships. Later in life, those same problems may affect their adult relationships, employment prospects and psychological health. Parental conflict may be just one area of trauma or adverse childhood experience , ‘ACE’, for an individual child. Practitioners should be mindful of the effects of multiple ACEs for a child57(p22-25). Similarly, children may be experiencing a layering or intersectionality of prejudice in relation to race, faith, gender, sexuality or disability57(p205)