A new short film shot in the Hunter aims to give audiences insight into domestic violence through the eyes of children.
Got Your Back Sista chief executive Melissa Histon said Silenced is told from the perspective of siblings Kasey and Liam, played by Hunter Drama students Frankie Leach and Jude Schillert.
Ms Histon said the story was based on interviews with and accounts of several women who witnessed violence as children and said it changed the course of their lives, even leading some to violent relationships as adults.
She said children were often silent victims, not given the opportunity to explain what they had experienced.
"We see that through all the stories we hear around domestic violence and people I speak to - they talk about growing up in a violent home and even though the violence isn't always directed at them, it has a massive impact on children, on their physiological and behavioural development, it has long term impacts," Ms Histon said.
"One thing I've learned is that even if the violence is not directed at them personally, just living in and witnessing that violence floods their little brains with cortisol, so they become hyper vigilent, live in that state of fight, flight or freeze and... it impacts their ability to learn, to focus, to concentrate, to problem solve, to regulate their emotions.
"They can end up developing ADHD or challenging behaviours that appear like ADHD."
Ms Histon is the executive producer of the film, which was funded using a Newcastle City Council $15,000 arts and culture grant and filmed in three days in April in Hamilton and Carrington.
Ian Hamilton of Limelight Creative is the producer and director. Karl Brandstater is the cinematographer.
She said the film's July 2 launch had been postponed and it will be released as an educational and awareness-raising resource.
