Barnardos children’s charity today announced that nearly one third of children supported by the charity’s targeted services (31%) up to the end of September 2025 are either living in or have lived in households experiencing domestic violence. This equates to more than 1,500 children this year across Barnardos’ 56 service locations. In some service areas as many as 70% of the children referred have experience of domestic violence.
The children’s charity is highlighting the impact of domestic violence on children in their own right as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Thousands of children across the country experience this every year and these children live in fear of child domestic homicide, or of losing a parent to domestic violence.
Children attending Barnardos services said:
“It is shouting, name calling, crying, shattered glass and sometimes punches, bruises and blood. It gets louder and louder, they don’t think we can hear it, but we can hear it in our rooms, when we are in bed even if it is in the last corner of the house. It’s like a fighting match and we are worried that mam might get killed.”
‘It affects us for the rest of our lives in every aspect’
‘The bruises are temporary, trauma is forever’
‘Find a safe space to go to each time a fight breaks out, away from everything or anyone’
Áine Costello, Barnardos National Coordinator for the Childhood Domestic Abuse Project: ‘Living with domestic violence is traumatic and has a significant detrimental impact on children’s current and future safety, health and general wellbeing. It can affect all aspects of their lives: their relationships; their engagement in school; their mental health. For the child, this violence and abuse is experienced through all their senses, whereby their lives are dominated by fear, control, isolation, and intimidation. Children are not passive bystanders; they are involved and experience the violence and abuse in their own right.
“The violence may be directed towards them, they may intervene to stay safe, protect a parent or siblings. One of the major concerns children we support across our services have expressed regularly is their fears for their own safety, their siblings and parent. They are frightened about serious violence and in many cases that someone may be killed. Children should be able to live their lives free of violence and abuse – because childhood lasts a lifetime”.
More awareness that children and young people are living with childhood domestic violence will enable them to access support which will reduce risk, increase safety and wellbeing, and mitigate the long-term effects of domestic violence on children’s health and wellbeing, education, relationships and development.
Barnardos’ TLC KIDZ projects help children heal from the impact of domestic violence, and helps their mothers to understand their children’s experiences and support their recovery. Barnardos TLC Kids Projects also raises awareness among agencies in local communities about the impact of childhood domestic violence on children and families. Barnardos’ family support services help families deal with the trauma of childhood domestic violence and abuse.
A poem by a young person who attended Barnardos TLC Kidz Project:
STOP
“S”, a long drawn out S that whistles like a kettle.
Seems like it’s triggered as it keeps roaring louder and burns like hot metal.
A “T” is for the Tall brick wall she just had to run into.
It’s sturdier today and won’t take too kindly to those in its way.
“O” is the way her mouth usually moves as that makeup sponge covers another bruise.
She long dreams for “P” that Perfect couple. But the only kiss she gets is from his calloused knuckle.
“STOP!” a word too daunting to scream. 4 letters for the 4 times she tries to leave.
Her prince charming now a threat.
Countless nights that she has wept.
In the end she fell in love with Mr Bold.
On that first date her fate was told.
Now here she lies, her body cold.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Barnardos Press Office: 086 044 5966
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