Traditional research to determine the effects of domestic violence on children has conducted psychological tests to measure children's skills and development. Developmental psychologists experimented on children in the laboratory: if the level of competence demonstrated by a child was below average for his or her age and developmental stage, witnessing domestic violence was considered the cause. To know if a child has been harmed by his or her experiences, we need to know how “normal” children function and develop (Archard 197). But there is no universally accepted, timeless standard for children's health and development. Some psychologists believe that domestic violence affects the way children think and can lead to "premature" understanding and ways of thinking. What constitutes harm depends on standards of well-being that vary across cultures. Few would say that witnessing their mother being abused is a very disturbing experience for children. However, not all children living with domestic violence witness the direct physical attacks against their mothers, but they are fully aware of the abuse she experiences. Children do not need to directly witness violence to be deeply affected by it. Much research has highlighted the negative impact that witnessing domestic violence can have on children. Abrahams (1994) found that ninety-one percent of mothers in her study believed that their children had suffered negative effects from domestic violence. Additionally, eighty-six percent believed these negative effects continued into adolescence. Coping Mechanisms Children and young people develop a wide range of active strategies to help them cope with violence, including ...... middle of paper .... ..Living with domestic violence: putting male abuse of women on the childcare agenda, London: Whiting and BirchMullender, A. , Kelly, L., Hague, G., Malos, E. and Imam, U. (2000) Children's Needs, Coping Strategies and Understanding Women's Abuse. Coventry, University of Warwick: Department of Social Policy and Social Work. Saunders, A. Epstein, C. and Keep, G. and Debbonaire, T. (1995) It Hurts Me Too: Experiences of Domestic Violence and Life in Shelters. Bristol: WAFE/Childline/NISW.United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 1989Woodhead, M. and Montgomery, H. (Eds) (2003) Understanding childhood: an interdisciplinary approach, Milton Keynes: John Wiley and his sons in association with the Open University.Wyness, M. (2006) Childhood and society: an introduction to the sociology of childhood, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.