Fear and loss: Violent fathers’ impact on children’s and mothers’ lives after fleeing from home

• The fear and loss that follows fathers’ violence have far-reaching consequences long after children and mothers seek protection. • Individual assessments are needed, for example by the social services and family court system. • Children’s rights and what is best for the child need to be considered in all cases of violence. The aim of this study was to investigate violent fathers’ impact on children’s and mothers’ lives after fleeing violence in their homes. The study is based on interviews with children aged 7–17 (n = 13) and mothers (n = 14) of young children (age 0–6 years) in Sweden. Eight children and five mothers in the sample were still living in domestic violence shelters at the time of the interview. The thematic analysis resulted in two major themes, Fear and Loss, revealing the fear of violence, abduction, and the consequences of visitation, and the loss of home, social relations, and identity. The results are discussed with the help of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The conclusion shows that the impact of fathers’ violence has far-reaching consequences, both directly and indirectly, and that children’s and mothers’ lives continue to be affected long after they leave their home to seek protection.