Accidental injury is always a risk for any child who is present during a violent incident, but all too often children are intended victims as well. The batterer may want to punish a partner by hurting the children, or may hurt the children simply because they are there.
Children growing up in a violent home often come to believe that violence in a family is normal; it's how problems are solved. Life in a violent family is chaotic. Rules and boundaries change at the whim of the abuser. Children may try to take on adult roles, hoping to establish some stability. If the violence continues, the children may begin to develop the belief that men are supposed to push women around (and that women are supposed to be pushed around).
We all know that children absorb values and learn behavior by watching those around them, but that isn't the whole story. Research has shown that thought processes are significantly affected by the stress and fear that come with being exposed to family violence. Children exposed to abuse are often unable to develop the coping skills needed to deal with change, frustration, anger, or even minor irritations. They may not be able to exercise self-control or recognize the consequences of their actions.
As they mature, children from abusive households are at risk for becoming violent themselves. They are also more likely than the general population to abuse alcohol and other drugs, and to engage in other destructive (and self-destructive) behavior.
It is generally accepted that keeping the family together is "best for the children," but the serious effects of witnessing family violence suggest that children may be better off in a single-parent, nonviolent family.