Children Witnessing Domestic Violence at Home

BROCKTON — The grim scene overnight on March 14 that left 14-year-old Nehemiah Cepeda of Brockton dead after being shot in a closet, allegedly by his mom's boyfriend, is one recent incident of many tragic instances where a child has gotten caught in the crosshairs of an act of domestic violence at home.

Nationwide, an estimated 3.3 million to 10 million children are at risk of witnessing domestic violence each year. And in Massachusetts, according to the state's Office of the Commissioner of Probation, an estimated 43,000 children are exposed to domestic violence each year.

In court the morning after Nehemiah was killed, prosecutors said his mom, Felicia Williams, had been in a long-term on-and-off relationship with the suspect, Justilino Resende. She was also shot, once in the chest, that night.

'Everyone was sleeping' Brockton man shot 14-year-old stepson in closet, DA says

Prosecutors told the court the couple had been fighting that night and it had escalated to a point where Williams allegedly told one of her two older daughters not to get involved. They also told the court Resende had served 18 months in prison in 2017 for the unlawful possession of a gun.

And despite having called 911 on each other "numerous times in the past," according to Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz, "none of those calls went through the legal process of obtaining a restraining order."

'One of the worst forms of trauma' for children

Children are greatly affected by either witnessing domestic violence or experiencing trauma at home, or both.

"It is really no question that children experience profound trauma in the years to come," said Elizabeth Englander, professor of psychology at Bridgewater State University, regarding children who witness violence at home or experience it themselves.

"Domestic violence is arguably one of the worst forms of trauma a child can experience."

According to a tip guide for parents provided by the Child Witness to Violence Project, a program run out of Boston Medical Center, "many things may interfere with the way children grow, learn and behave."

"Although we think that children are not aware of violence, they usually see and hear more than we believe they do," the guide said.

"In the short term, kids can be withdrawn, they can start to act out or emulate violent acts, and can show signs of depression," Englander said. "In the long term, a child's ability to sustain relationships, mostly romantic but other [kinds of relationships] as well, are threatened."

When does DCF step in?

Once there has been a report of an instance of child abuse or neglect, the state Department of Children and Families works to investigate the incident, a DCF official said.

The department also works with the non-offending parent to keep themselves and their children safe by referring them to local domestic violence programs that specialize in supporting survivors and supporting parents helping their children to cope and heal, the official said.

"While there is no sure way of protecting kids prior to a tragic incident like the most recent in Brockton, the best predictor of violence is violence," Englander said.

"The state does a pretty good job of tending to households where children may have been affected by domestic violence considering sometimes certain agencies may not have all of the details on a case," she continued.

Domestic violence especially lethal: Parents in the US fear mass shootings, but kids are three times as likely to be shot at home

Why some people struggle to leave an abuser?

In domestic violence cases like this one, experts on the issue say calling the police is not always the easiest option to protect victims.

"Victims can feel threatened to report their abusers to police," Heather Devitt, director of domestic violence services at Family and Community Resources, Inc. in Brockton, said. "Or, perhaps, they have children at home and don't have additional family support. There are a number of reasons why someone wouldn't feel comfortable in reporting a case to the police."

Many familiar with domestic violence understand that "leaving can often be the most dangerous part," Devitt said.