Intimate partner violence: What are the impacts on children?

Protective Factors Affecting Trauma Recovery Among Female South Asian Immigrant Intimate Partner Violence Survivors: A Scoping Review

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pressing public health issue affecting women worldwide. Thirty percent of women experience some form of violence throughout their lifetime globally, and South Asian countries have a higher prevalence of IPV (33%-51%). Notably, IPV has detrimental psychological impacts not only on women but also on their children. Despite this, limited empirical attention has explored protective factors for IPV trauma recovery. This review examines protective factors aiding South Asian immigrant IPV survivors' trauma recovery using Joanna Briggs Institute JBI methodology. The study draws on PubMed, Scopus, and PsychINFO data, resulting in 20 articles retrieved using Rayyan software. Protective factor's themes and subthemes revealed in the literature operated at multiple levels, including personal, interpersonal, community, and professional factors. Personal factors were selfhood, collective self, and adaptation, as well as those that enabled the utilization of interpersonal, community, and professional factors; interpersonal factors were family and friends, children as motivators, and religion; and community and professional factors were resources and technology usage. Immigrant status and culture significantly impacted the protective factors, acting as barriers among some IPV survivors. Therefore, future research should focus on exploring the experiences and cultural values of South Asian immigrant women with other influencing factors that may hinder the development and impact of protective factors on IPV trauma recovery. These findings can help design culturally sensitive support services that incorporate the unique needs of female South Asian immigrant IPV survivors.

Global burden of diseases attributable to intimate partner violence: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

PURPOSE

Our study aims to evaluate the global burden of disease attributable to IPV from 1990 to 2019 at global, regional, national, and socio-demographic index (SDI) levels. Our research question is: What is the global burden of disease attributable to intimate partner violence (IPV) from 1990 to 2019, and how does it vary at global, regional, national, and socio-demographic index (SDI) levels?

METHODS

Data parameters for the number of deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and age-standardized rate were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. We calculated the percentage change and population attributable fraction with 95% uncertainty intervals.

RESULTS

IPV directly accounted for 0.14% [95% UI 0.09%, 0.21%] and 0.32% [95% UI 0.17%, 0.49%] of global all-cause deaths and DALYs in 2019, respectively. The age-standardized deaths and DALYs rates of IPV increased by 12.83% and 4.00% respectively from 1990 to 2019. Women aged 35-39 and 30-34 had the highest deaths and DALYs rate respectively. The highest age-standardized rates of IPV-related deaths and DALYs were observed in Southern Sub-Saharan. Both of deaths and DALYs were high in low-socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile in 2019.

CONCLUSIONS

A higher level of deaths and DALYs attributable to IPV were reported in younger women, in the early 2000s, in Southern Sub-Saharan regions and in low SDI regions. Our study provides policymakers with up-to-date and comprehensive information.

Nuances in the effect of types of intimate partner violence on aspects of child development: Evidence from the Philippines

BACKGROUND

Most studies on the effect of intimate partner violence (IPV) do not distinguish between the effects of the different types of IPVs on the various aspects of child development.

OBJECTIVE

This study explores the effect of multiple dimensions of IPV, specifically physical violence, controlling behavior, and emotional abuse, on children's physical and cognitive development.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The study uses data from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutritional Survey (CLHNS). The study uses a final sample of n = 1506 index children in Cebu, Philippines.

METHODS

We use information pertaining to: (1) presence of IPV in the household, (2) demographic characteristics, (3) mother's status and autonomy, (4) anthropometric data, and (5) children's scores on mathematics, English, language, and nonverbal reasoning tests. We employ a Propensity Score Matching (PSM) technique to analyze the effect of IPV on child development outcomes, conditional on observed characteristics.

RESULTS

Maternal exposure to physical violence significantly reduces child's body mass index (BMI) (ATE: -0.344, p ≤ 0.05). On the other hand, mother's vulnerability to controlling behavior decreases children's test scores in mathematics (ATE: -3.346, p ≤ 0.01), English (ATE: -2.289, p ≤ 0.01), and nonverbal reasoning (ATE: -2.103, p ≤ 0.01). We do not find a significant link between emotional abuse and height, body mass index, and test scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study shows that the deleterious effect of IPV on child development is IPV-specific. Exposure to physical violence tends to affect children's physical development while cognitive abilities are negatively associated with exposure to controlling behavior. These results suggest different types of ex-post interventions on both children and mothers to ensure their physical and mental well-being.

The Impact of Parental Relationship Satisfaction on Infant Development: Results From the Population-Based Cohort Study DREAM

Extensive literature has shown that interparental conflicts and violence have detrimental effects on children's adjustment in childhood and adolescence. It is not equally well-understood how parental relationship satisfaction impacts infant communicational and personal-social development during the first year of life. This longitudinal study examines (a) the impact of maternal and paternal relationship satisfaction on infant development, (b) whether this prospective association is mediated by parent-infant relationship, and (c) a potential moderating effect of infant gender. Data were derived from the population-based cohort study “Dresden Study on Parenting, Work, and Mental Health” (DREAM) including 1,012 mothers and 676 fathers. Relationship satisfaction and parent-infant relationship were assessed eight weeks postpartum, infant communicational and personal-social development were measured 14 months postpartum. Multiple linear regression, mediation, and moderation analyses were conducted for mothers and fathers separately. It was shown that paternal relationship satisfaction is a significant predictor of infant personal-social development. This prospective association was partially mediated by father-infant relationship. When postnatal depression was included in the analysis, however, father-infant relationship was not a significant mediator. The association in fathers is neither reduced nor increased as a function of infant gender. No similar effects were found in the mothers' sample. Parental relationship satisfaction did not significantly predict infant communicational development in either mothers or fathers. The study findings highlight the importance of paternal relationship satisfaction, father-infant relationship, and postnatal depression for infant personal-social development.

The Failure of All Mothers or the Mother of All Failures? Juror Perceptions of Failure to Protect Laws

Failure to protect laws have been an area of interest among legal scholars, child and domestic violence advocates, and the social work and psychology fields with varying focuses on the societal underpinnings of the laws and their application. Despite the pervasive legal literature on "mother blaming" and the revictimization of battered women that these laws engender, few studies have empirically examined if "mother blaming" occurs in these cases, or if battered women are treated more harshly. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of defendant sex and presence of domestic violence on mock juror decision making in a failure to protect case. The influences of juror sex on decision making were also examined. Jury eligible community members read a summary of a case in which the defendant was charged with failing to protect their child from a third-party abuser. The sex of the defendant and the presence of domestic violence were manipulated. Participants then rendered a verdict, provided sentencing recommendations, and responded to attitudinal questions about the defendant and perpetrator. Mock jurors were more likely to find the defendant guilty and view the defendant more negatively when the defendant had been the victim of domestic violence. Defendant sex did not affect outcome measures; however, female jurors were more punitive than male jurors. Results are discussed in terms of "victim blaming" and labeling theory of intimate partner violence.

Repairing the effects of childhood trauma: The long and winding road

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT?: Domestic and family violence contributes to mental distress and the development of mental illness and can reverberate throughout a person's life. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Therapeutic work with people who experience domestic and family violence needs to take considerable time to allow the process to unfold. Understanding the triggers that cause past traumas to be re-experienced helps people to recognize and change their conditioned emotional responses. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Time needs to be invested to develop a secure and trusting relationship to enable a person to work through childhood experiences that have the potential to overwhelm. It is important for adults who have experienced childhood trauma to have an opportunity to process the abuse to help minimize its intrusion in their lives.

Examining the Relationship Between Witnessing Intimate Partner Violence and Victimization Among Children in Saudi Arabia

Childhood exposure to violence can lead to physical, mental, and emotional harm, whether a child is a direct victim or a witness to violent events. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between witnessing intimate partner violence (IPV) and victimization among children. A cross-sectional, national study was conducted in secondary high schools in the five main provinces of Saudi Arabia (SA) using International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) ISPCAN Child Abuse and Neglect Screening Tool-Child: Home version. Boys and girls, public and private schools were selected to participate. Students (N = 16,939) aged 15 to 18 years completed the survey instrument which included demographics, different types of abuse (physical, psychological, and sexual), neglect, and witnessing IPV. Mean age of the participants was 16.8 ± 0.9 years, and 51% were boys. Eighty-one percent lived with both parents, 6% with single parent, and 2% with step-parent. Fifty-two percent of the participants witnessed IPV. Those who witnessed IPV were more likely to be abused compared with those who did not (p < .01). Among those who witnessed physical IPV, girls had a significantly greater likelihood of experiencing psychological abuse (odds ratio [OR] = 3.7, confidence interval [CI] = [1.9, 6.8]), physical abuse (OR = 1.3, CI = [1.0, 1.6]), and neglect (OR = 1.6, CI = [1.4, 1.9]) but less likelihood of experiencing sexual abuse (OR = 0.6, CI = [0.5, 0.7]) than boys. Among those who witnessed psychological IPV, girls had a significantly greater likelihood of experiencing neglect (OR = 1.3, CI = [1.2, 1.5]) but less likelihood of experiencing sexual abuse (OR = 0.5, CI = [0.5, 0.6]) than boys. Boys who witnessed physical IPV and psychological IPV had a significantly greater likelihood of experiencing sexual abuse compared with girls. Witnessing IPV increases the chances of child and adolescent victimization. Multidisciplinary approaches involving social workers, law enforcement personnel, and domestic violence and child protection workers could effectively respond to this problem.

Intergenerational Impacts of Family Violence - Mothers and Children in a Large Prospective Pregnancy Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Violence and other adversities commonly co-occur, yet are usually investigated individually. The primary objectives of this paper are to investigate: (i) the relationship between maternal exposure to violence (including childhood abuse and intimate partner violence) and postpartum mental and physical health; and (ii) the extent to which exposure to violence and poor maternal mental and physical health are associated with children's emotional-behavioral difficulties.

METHODS

Prospective pregnancy cohort (n = 1507) followed up to 4 year postpartum. Validated measures used: Composite Abuse Scale; Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, SF-36, Child Maltreatment History Self Report; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to investigate associations between maternal childhood abuse, intimate partner violence (IPV), maternal health and child emotional and behavioral difficulties at age 4.

OUTCOMES

Two out of five women (41%) reported abuse in childhood, and almost one in three (29%) reported IPV during the first four years of motherhood. Women reporting both physical and sexual childhood abuse had markedly raised odds of IPV and poor physical and mental health at all time points (pregnancy, first year postpartum and four year postpartum). For the index child, violence exposures (maternal childhood abuse or IPV) and poor maternal physical or mental health were associated with higher odds of emotional/behavioral difficulties at age four. In multivariable models (adjusted for child gender and maternal age), cumulative exposures (multiple violence exposures or poor maternal mental or physical health at multiple time points) each independently added to increased odds of emotional-behavioral difficulties. Children of mothers who reported a history of childhood abuse but were not exposed to IPV had odds of difficulties similar to children of mothers not reporting any violence exposure, suggesting resilient outcomes where violence experiences are not repeated in the next generation.

INTERPRETATION

The clustering of risk (child and adult violence experiences) and the accumulation of risk within families (IPV, poor maternal health, child difficulties) highlight the need for effective early intervention to limit or ameliorate the impact of violence across the lifespan, and to break the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage.

The relationship between exposure to family violence in childhood and post-traumatic stress symptoms in young adulthood: The mediating role of social support

BACKGROUND

Extensive research has examined the relationship between exposure to family violence and its long-term mental health effects. Social support has been found to moderate this relationship, but there is a dearth of research on its mediating role.

OBJECTIVES

The article presents the results of a study on the relationship between witnessing interparental violence and experiencing parental violence during childhood and adolescence on the one hand, and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) during young adulthood on the other. In addition, the article presents results on the role of social support as a mediator in this relationship.

METHOD, PARTICIPANTS, AND SETTING

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 516 Israeli university and college students (90.7% female, and 9.3% male; M age = 24.9, SD = 2.7) using a retrospective, self-administered questionnaire.

RESULTS

The results revealed that exposure to each pattern of family violence (i.e., witnessing interparental violence and experiencing parental violence) predicted higher levels of PTSS. Furthermore, social support was found to partially mediate the relationship between exposure to family violence during childhood and adolescence and current PTSS as well as its four symptoms, i.e., depression, sleep disturbance, dissociation, and anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the current study highlight the important role of social support in the association between adversities experienced early in life and young adulthood outcomes. The findings are interpreted on the basis of Conservation of Resources Theory (Hobfoll et al., 1990), which served as the conceptual framework for the study. The limitations of the study and implications for future research are discussed.

What doesn't kill them doesn't make them stronger: Questioning our current notions of resilience

This study expands on earlier analyses of the data generated by a cross-sectional study involving a random sample of 5149 middle-school students with a mean age of 14.5 years from four EU-countries (Austria, Germany, Slovenia, and Spain), in which every fourth respondent (23.0%) had been physically abused by his or her parents and almost every sixth respondent (17.3%) had witnessed physical spousal abuse. Contrary to expectations, some of these youths reported no engagement in peer violence and no symptoms of depression, which meant that they could be considered "resilient." Given their precarious conditions, we inquired into how these young people functioned on other protective and risk indicators when compared to non-violence exposed peers. Using Bonferroni post-hoc tests, we conducted an analysis of variance based comparison of levels of risk and protective factors on three groups of violence and depression-resilient youth (low, middle and high family violence experience) with those participants who reported no family violence or abuse, no depression and no use of violence. The violence and depression-resilient participants reported significantly higher levels of aggression supportive beliefs, alcohol consumption, drug use, verbal aggression towards and from teachers and use of indirect aggression, along with lower levels of social and personal protective characteristics such as self-acceptance, emotional self-control, optimism about the future, and positive relations with parents and teachers, than students without family violence experiences. We therefore concluded that while some family violence exposed young people may not engage in violence or experience depression, this does not automatically imply an absence of other challenges and calls into question our current notions of resilience.

I-DECIDE: An Online Intervention Drawing on the Psychosocial Readiness Model for Women Experiencing Domestic Violence

BACKGROUND

Domestic violence (DV) perpetrated by men against women is a pervasive global problem with significant physical and emotional consequences. Although some face-to-face interventions in health care settings have shown promise, there are barriers to disclosure to health care practitioners and women may not be ready to access or accept help, reducing uptake. Similar to the mental health field, interventions from clinical practice can be adapted to be delivered by technology.

PURPOSE

This article outlines the theoretical and conceptual development of I-DECIDE, an online healthy relationship tool and safety decision aid for women experiencing DV. The article explores the use of the Psychosocial Readiness Model (PRM) as a theoretical framework for the intervention and evaluation.

METHODS

This is a theoretical article drawing on current theory and literature around health care and online interventions for DV.

RESULTS

The article argues that the Internet as a method of intervention delivery for DV might overcome many of the barriers present in health care settings. Using the PRM as a framework for an online DV intervention may help women on a pathway to safety and well-being for themselves and their children. This hypothesis will be tested in a randomized, controlled trial in 2015/2016.

CONCLUSION

This article highlights the importance of using a theoretical model in intervention development and evaluation.

What do Australian Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Abuse Want From Family and Friends?

We analyzed the views of a diverse sample of women (N = 254) living in the state of Victoria, Australia, who were experiencing fear of an intimate partner. We explored the women's views about their interactions with their family and friends to examine what women who have experienced fear of a partner or ex-partner want from their family and friends. The themes identified provide potentially useful guidance for what might be helpful and unhelpful communication strategies and behaviors for families and friends. Women experiencing intimate partner abuse find informal support invaluable, provided it is delivered in a helpful fashion. Helpful support is affirming, encouraging, validating, and understanding, and delivered with positive regard, empathy, and respect. Social contact and interaction are particularly appreciated, as is instrumental support such as financial help, housing, and child care. Women value both support that is directly related to abuse and support related to other areas of life.

The role of parenting stress in young children's mental health functioning after exposure to family violence

This study evaluates the associations of young children's exposure to family violence events, parenting stress, and children's mental health functioning. Caregivers provided data for 188 children ages 3 to 5 years attending Head Start programming. Caregivers reported 75% of children had experienced at least 1 type of trauma event, and 27% of children had experienced a family violence event. Child mental health functioning was significantly associated with family violence exposure after controlling for children's age, gender, household income, and other trauma exposure (β = .14, p = .033). Stress in the parenting role partially mediated the relationship between family violence exposure and young children's mental health functioning (β = .12, p = .015, 95% confidence interval [0.02, 0.21]). Interventions for young children exposed to family violence should address the needs of the child, as well as the caregiver while also building healthy parent-child relationships to facilitate positive outcomes in children faced with trauma.

Domestic violence: the hidden epidemic associated with mental illness

Despite domestic violence being a very common problem in individuals with severe mental illness, there is very little research in this setting. Multiple barriers exist to disclosure by users and enquiry by providers. Training and systems for identification and responding to domestic violence are urgently needed in mental health clinics.

Developmental pathway modeling in considering behavior problems in young Russian children

In planning interventions it is essential to understand how adverse risk factors in early childhood are associated with child mental health problems, whether some types of problems can be better explained by the specific risk factors, and whether early risk factors are differently related to different types of child behavior problems. A community sample of 692 1.5-3.5-year-old children from Northern Russia was assessed by means of maternal reports. The study compared two models for the development of internalizing (withdrawn, anxious/depressed) and externalizing (aggressive, destructive) behavior problems in relation to the same early risk factors using structural equation modeling. Findings suggested that the development of these problems is related to maternal psychological problems and alcohol use during pregnancy, and mediated by the continuing maternal and family dysfunction and compromised postnatal condition of the child. Results indicated good model fit for both internalizing and externalizing problems, and neither of the models fit significantly better than the other. Findings are discussed in terms of understanding developmental risk and informing intervention and prevention efforts.