Answer to Question 1
Witnessing domestic violence can have traumatic effects on children. The basic sense of trust that should be present in a child's life may be damaged or destabilized, which may lead to fear, discipline problems, depression, poor social interaction, and drug abuse among children. Both internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems may be present if a child has witnessed severe domestic partner violence. For some children, the witnessing of violence toward their mothers puts them at risk for emotional and behavioral problems and for reproducing such violent behavior.
Answer to Question 2
Human emotions enter into matters that are this grave. Reluctance may be based on the teacher's personal background, lack of support from supervisory personnel, or family rights issues. In some cultures, a family's rights over their children are deeply held beliefs. These beliefs may be more deeply held if the family has recently emigrated from another country. The teacher may feel nervous or emotional about this because of his or her own family experiences. The teacher may be concerned that although a report was made, there will be no proper follow-up to it. The teacher may fear that the parents will retaliate or that they will pull their child out of the early childhood education environment. The teacher may even fear losing his or her job. Often, the teacher may feel he or she is betraying the child and the family by reporting suspected maltreatment.