"Once my sister and I heard it together. We were just crying our eyes out for my mum, you know, she just sounded so desperate downstairs, crying and screaming," says one child who has witnessed domestic abuse.
From 31 January, children with experiences like this have more protection in law, as Section 120 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 came into force. It extends the legal definition of harming children to include harm suffered by seeing or hearing ill treatment of others, especially in the home.
The new obligations on child protection agencies have been welcomed.
"It's a reaction to the view that if a child is not directly hurt, they don't suffer long-term damage," says Margaret McGlade, the Association of Directors of Social Services' spokeswoman on domestic violence.
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