Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence: Summary of State Laws

This brief introduction summarizes how States address this topic in statute. To access the statutes for a specific State or territory, visit the State Statutes Search.

In recent years, increased attention has been focused on children who may be affected by violence in the home, either as victims or as witnesses to domestic violence. Research shows that even when children are not direct targets of violence in the home, they can be harmed by witnessing its occurrence.¹

https://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/witnessdv.cfm