Watched a really informative program the other night where they talked to women in prison and they were all saying we shouldn't think because our children are young they don't understand abuse, seeing their fathers beat up their mothers and thinking they are going to forget it. Most were in for murder or attemped murder and they said, they still remember and have nightmares (some do yet) and that their ideas of men were horribly twisted by seeing this....so DO NOT stay in an abusive situation so the children don't have to live through a divorce....Better to end the abuse and the horrific example you are giving your children, especially the girls...who end up being abused too because they think thats the norm...so sad!