The child as a witness of extreme violence in the family

Abstract

The authors present a case of a traumatized child who has witnessed his mother being murdered by his father. Their aim is to comprehend the traumatizing aspects of such an act, and the way the child copes with such a trauma, and to discuss a psychotherapeutic approach that can allay the effects of such traumatization.

Key Words:

• traumatization of child
• family violence
• child as witness of mother being murdered by father
• psychotherapeutic approach