What is the impact of domestic violence on child maltreatment risk?

• A. It has no impact on maltreatment risk.
• B. Domestic violence increases risk for physical harm, neglect, emotional abuse, and instability; it affects caregiver capacity.
• C. It only affects emotional abuse.
• D. It reduces overall maltreatment risk.

Answer: (B)

Domestic violence creates conditions that raise the risk of child maltreatment by weakening the caregiver’s ability to provide safe, stable care. When violence is present, caregivers experience high stress, fear, and potential injury, which can lead to reduced supervision, inconsistent responses, and difficulty meeting basic needs. This can result in physical harm during violent episodes, neglect such as missing meals or medical care, and emotional harm from ongoing exposure to conflict and danger. The instability that comes with domestic violence—unpredictable routines, housing or financial insecurity, and disruption of daily life—further increases vulnerability. Because it undermines caregiving capacity across multiple dimensions, domestic violence is linked to higher risk of physical harm, neglect, emotional abuse, and overall instability.