“Nearly 20% of women who took their own lives were known to police because they were exposed to domestic violence as children”
We know the dire statistic that those who experience Childhood Domestic Violence are 6x more likely to commit suicide than the general population. A recent study in Australia has reaffirmed these findings.
People often dismiss CDV, because children are not being directly physically abused, but the lasting impact of CDV is strikingly similar to that of child abuse. Like all Adverse Childhood Experiences, CDV has severe consequences that can cost a person their life, in more ways than one.
These findings reinforce that we must begin speaking about the impact of CDV and increase the avenues of support significantly for those who are affected, to help curb the statistics, as seen in this study.
Read more about the study here.
If you experienced CDV in your childhood home and think about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. You are not alone.