The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children’s Right to Development under the Convention on the Rights of the Child: A Tajikistan Case Study

Abstract

Domestic violence against women remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations worldwide, with consequences that extend beyond the immediate victim. Children who witness such violence often experience profound developmental harm; however, in Tajikistan and across Central Asia this form of indirect victimhood remains largely invisible in law, policy, and research. Although the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) guarantees every child’s right to holistic development, children exposed to domestic violence in Tajikistan are rarely treated as independent rights-holders, creating significant gaps in protection and early intervention. The aim of this study is to assess how domestic violence against women affects children’s right to development in Tajikistan and to evaluate the adequacy of existing legal and institutional responses under the CRC. This thesis examines how professionals in Tajikistan respond to the developmental consequences of domestic violence on children. Using a qualitative-dominant mixed methods design, the study combines interviews with professionals and comparative legal and policy analysis. The CRC and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory provide the theoretical foundation, enabling analysis that bridges children’s rights law with developmental psychology. All interviews followed ethical research standards. By situating Tajikistan as the primary case study, the research explores four interrelated dimensions: (1) the psychological and social consequences of witnessing violence for children; (2) the adequacy of existing legal and institutional responses; and (3) the effectiveness of preventive measures, including family centered and school based interventions, public advocacy and independent fact-finding mechanisms; and (4) the extent to which children’s voices and best interests are meaningfully reflected in protection systems. Selected comparative references such as Spain’s recognition of “vicarious violence” and regional practices in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan contextualize the findings. The research finds that children exposed to domestic violence face cumulative and multidimensional developmental risks, while protection mechanisms in Tajikistan remain fragmented, under resourced, and inconsistently implemented. Weak inter-institutional coordination, limited professional capacity, insufficient child referral pathways, and restricted access to international accountability procedures continue to undermine effective prevention and protection. Academically, it contributes to the limited literature on children’s indirect victimhood in post-Soviet contexts, through a rights-based and interdisciplinary approach. Practically, it evaluates alignment with CRC obligations, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4,5, and 16, and proposes pathways to strengthen child centered, trauma informed protection systems.