As soon as a child is born, he begins to acquire sensory experiences from the environment in which he is placed. The environment will also have a powerful influence on his behavior as he grows up. Experiences through the environment are as important as genetics, as they can also influence a person's psychological development. Genetics decide how the brain is wired, but experience through the environment will determine how the brain grows and develops. In this essay I will focus on the home environment and discuss the negative effects this environment can have on the child and how it shapes them psychologically. I will first talk about how children can be affected psychologically when exposed to an environment of domestic abuse and parental conflict. I will then discuss the negative impact that divorce and changing family structure can have on a child's psychological development if the child is exposed to it in his or her environment. Domestic abuse and inter-parental conflict: Domestic abuse and inter-parental conflict, even if it is not directed at the child, can have a huge effect on the child's psychological development. Both of these issues represent a significant concern in today's society (Harold & Howarth, 2004). Research tells us that children who witness domestic abuse among their parents/guardians or any adult figure in their lives are susceptible to the same psychological trauma, developmentally, as children who receive direct physical abuse and maltreatment from their parents. Most of this research concerns children living in a violent and dangerous environment (both physical and psychological), i.e. the child's home (Holden et al., 1998). The research conducted by Harol……at the heart of the article……and also his social skills. In conclusion, some environments can have a negative impact on the subsequent psychological development of children. In this essay I have discussed how an environment of domestic violence and interparental conflict and an environment of divorce or separation and changing family structure can negatively affect a child's psychological development and behavior. Domestic abuse and interparental conflict, even if not directed at the child, have the capacity to make the child more susceptible to the same psychological trauma, in terms of development, as children who receive direct physical abuse and maltreatment from their parents. parents. An environment in which the child is exposed to conflict and aggressive behavior from his parents or “role models” can also have a significant negative impact on his psychological development.