Domestic Violence and Behavioral Disorders in Adolescent Girls

Abstract

This research study was conducted in the Orphanage House in the city of Tripoli, where a sample of 4 resident teenage girls was selected. The researcher used the descriptive analytical method to study clinical cases, which provided an opportunity to organize and describe the information in depth, and to focus on individual details and psychological and behavioral dynamics. The results of the study showed that there were statistically significant differences between the problems of children referred to psychiatric clinics and the problems of healthy children. The results of the study showed that domestic violence leads to the emergence of behavioral and emotional problems and disorders among adolescent girls, and that the severity of these problems and behavioral disorders varies according to the degree of violence, whether through witnessing or through direct exposure. The study also revealed that adolescent girls’ witnessing of domestic violence leads to distorting the image of the father, to a defect in attachments and identifications, and to hindering their normal emotional development.

Thus, the research demonstrates the importance of early intervention and appropriate psychosocial support for children exposed to violence who exhibit behavioral and psychological problems in an institutional care environment, which contributes to improving their quality of life and enhancing their psychological stability in the future. The study recommended several recommendations, including shedding light on the phenomenon of domestic violence in Lebanese society, and establishing centers to receive victims to provide the necessary health, psychosocial support. The study also discussed the seriousness of domestic violence and its impact on personality formation and individual growth. Despite the importance of this phenomenon, it has not received in-depth studies that shed sufficient light on its psychological and social dimensions, which may be partly attributed to the secrecy of most cases of domestic violence due to cultural and religious interpretations.