They may:
- Girls may assume parental responsibilities
- Boys may copy abusive behaviour
- May run away or feel they cannot leave as they need to protect you
- Be very aggressive with friends and siblings
- May become involved in the abuse in an effort to protect, or be drawn
in by the abuser to participate in the abuse
- Turn to substance abuse as a coping strategy
- Have difficulty forming intimate relationships with peers as they
do not understand or recognise what normal behaviour is
- Be confused, frightened and anxious
- Be disruptive at school
- Have physical or mental health problems as a direct or indirect consequence
of the abuse
- Under achieve at school, or over achieve and allow their school work to dominate their lives so they do not need to think of life at home or with friends
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