Feeling Responsible for the Abuse - Child might think, "If I had put my toys away Daddy wouldn't have hit Mommy."

Constant Anxiety - Even when things are calm, a child never knows when the next fight will start.

Fear of Abandonment - Children may refuse to leave the victimized parent for fear of what will happen to them while they are gone. Children removed from one parent as a result of abuse may have stron fears that the other parent will also leave.

Overachieve - Child may try to be perfect in order to keep things peaceful at home.
No Reaction - Child who appears to be unaffected may be harboring feelings of depression or blaming him or herself for the abuse.

Underachieve - Child may have very low self-esteem or hopeless attitude.

Manipulation - Child may try to control his or her unstable Environment through manipulating people and events. This is often a learned behavior.

Class Clown - Child may be trying to cover true feelings by clowing or may just crave attention.