Any experience leaves its mark, whether it has positive or negative outcomes. In this case, the term “unscathed” was used to define a ‘more positive’ situation. Naturally, as you noted, the child will be affected and it is almost impossible to ascertain the extent of such effect.

I have added a couple of inverted commas to better clarify the meaning of the sentence.

Thank you for your comment and compliments!

The last paragraph, regarding the type of child to emerge unscathed by the effects of domestic violence, being of average or above average intellectual development and high self esteem, I feel is a little grand in statement.

I feel that no matter the intellectual level of the child, who has experienced domestic violence, each individual touched by such adverse behaviours is scarred to varying degrees throughout their lives. No matter how effectively they have been able to deal with the consequences on their emotional and psychological (for some, physical) state.

Each life experience leaves ‘its mark’. The greater the experience, the greater the impact, regardless of intellectual level. Perhaps the greater the strength of the individuals character, the greater capacity for the tolerance and recovery of the legacy of domestic violence.

Personally, I have known children of varied levels of intellectual capacity/intelligence still bare ‘scars’ attributable to their experiences of domestic violence.

Maintaining a healthy self-esteem can be a delicate balancing act for anyone (generalization) who has experienced domestic violence (and the effects of). Even with the most effective interventions and therapy, there can be ebbs and flows when life occasionally can provide images similar to those experienced by the individual (victim of domestic violence).

Unfortunately, I feel we will never truly have a concise ‘picture’ of the impact of domestic violence on all individuals affected by such. As a lot of this sort of adverse activity is kept private and not reported (by the victims). Not all individuals seek help, sadly.

We can only presume, on the statistics made available to us, what the effects and ramifications are for the affected individuals.
    
By the way, I’m enjoying reading the blog posts. They are informative and interesting. Thanks.