Ecological predictors of traumatic stress symptoms in caucasian and ethnic minority children exposed to intimate partner violence

Child-Reported Family Violence: A Systematic Review of Available Instruments

The impact of family violence (FV) on children is a significant global public policy issue. Earliest identification of FV among children is critical for preventing escalating sequelae. While practitioners routinely ask adults about FV, there are relatively few measures that enable children to reliably self-report on their own safety. This review sought to systematically identify and appraise all available child self-report measures for screening and assessment of FV in both clinical and research settings. Database searching was conducted in January 2022. Articles were eligible for review if they included a validated child (5-18 years) self-report measure of FV (including victimization, perpetration, and/or exposure to inter-parental violence). Screening of an initial 4,714 records identified a total of 85 articles, representing 32 unique validated instruments. Results provide an up-to-date catalog of child self-report measures of FV, intended to benefit practitioners, services and researchers in selecting appropriate tools, and in understanding their suitability and limitations for different cohorts and practice goals. While just under half of the measures captured both exposure to inter-parental violence and direct victimization, none captured all three domains of exposure, victimization and perpetration together. Instruments with provision for input from multiple respondents (e.g., both child and parent report) and with assessment of contextual risk factors were few. Findings point to the need for developmentally appropriate, whole-of-family screening and assessment frameworks to support children in the early identification of family safety concerns.

Violent Partners or a Specific Class of Offenders? A Criminal Career Approach to Understanding Men Involved in Intimate Partner Sexual Violence

The current study investigates the criminal career of individuals involved in intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV). Specifically, the goal is to determine whether men who engage in IPSV can be distinguished from those who engage in intimate partner non sexual violence (IPNSV) only and whether criminal trajectories in the resulting subgroup are heterogeneous. The sample comes from a Canadian database including a total of 12,458 individuals involved in IPSV and 32,474 individuals involved in IPNSV). Bivariate and multivariate analyses are performed to examine the differences in the two groups while latent profile analysis allows examining the heterogeneity of characteristics of men who engaged in IPSV. Findings indicate that the criminal career of men who engage in IPSV follows a pattern that is clearly distinct from that of men who engage in IPNSV only and is more specialized in terms of sexual offenses. Results also show that the criminal trajectories followed by the men who engage in IPSV are heterogeneous. Four profiles of different trajectories were identified. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Supporting Children Who Experience Domestic Violence: Evaluating the Child Witness to Domestic Violence Program

Impacting 1 in 4 children in the United States, childhood exposure to domestic violence predicts myriad negative sequelae. Intervening post exposure is critical to help children and their protective parent heal and avoid long-term negative consequences. Children aged 2-17 and their mothers who were victims of domestic violence participated in a 12-week group program delivered by domestic violence agency staff that provides psychoeducation on the impact of trauma and domestic violence and aims to improve parent and child well-being. The impact of the Child Witness to Domestic Violence (CWDV) program was tested in an intervention group (n = 69 children, 33 mothers) who participated in CWDV and control group (n = 80 children, 39 mothers) consisting of children whose mothers received adult-focused domestic violence services but were not enrolled in CWDV or other child-focused services. Multiple regression analyses controlling for child gender, child age, mother's age, and the outcome of interest at time 1 found that participation in CWDV program significantly predicted better child functioning as indicated by less hyperactivity (B = -.85, p = .06), fewer negative emotional symptoms (B = -1.14, p = .01), and fewer total behavioral difficulties (B = -2.48, p = .02) as well as higher maternal hope (B = .57, p = .03). These data provide promising evidence of the impact of a brief, replicable group intervention that promotes healing and well-being among children and parents exposed to domestic violence. Limitations include a quasi-experimental design and reliance on maternal report.

Exposure to IPV among Children in the Child Welfare System and an Emotional-Behavioral Disability: the Role of Maternal Depression and Social Support

This study examines the relationship between children's exposure to IPV and EBD among children involved in the child welfare system for suspected maltreatment (both substantiated and unsubstantiated). It specifically examines how children's trauma symptoms, maternal depression, and maternal social support may impact the relationship between exposure to IPV and EBD. This study uses structural equation modeling with data from the second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Wellbeing to examine the relationship between exposure to IPV and EBD among 989 children (ages 8-17) involved in the child welfare system. Moderated mediation was employed to examine whether children's trauma symptoms mediate the relationship between IPV exposure and EBD and whether differences in maternal depression and social support impact such mediation effect. Child trauma symptoms and maternal social support were significantly related to EBD. The current study highlights the relationship between children's trauma symptoms and EBD among children in the child welfare system. The study also provides preliminary evidence for maternal social support as a protective factor for children developing EBD. Implications of this research include providing interventions as well as increasing maternal social support to potentially reduce the likelihood of children developing EBD.

The Role of Acculturation and Intimate Partner Violence on Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Hispanic Youth With Child Welfare Contact

Research suggests that Hispanic youth with intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure report fewer trauma symptoms compared with youth from other racial/ethnic groups. However, no study has examined possible explanations for this finding. Our objective was to study the association between acculturation, IPV, and post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms among Hispanic youth and to test whether acculturation moderates the relationship between IPV and PTS symptoms. This analysis used data from 271 Hispanic youth aged 8 years or older participating in the second cohort of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW II). We conducted multiple linear regression analyses to achieve our study aims. We did not find a statistically significant relationship between IPV exposure and PTS symptoms among Hispanic youth (B = 0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [-0.09, 0.52]), or that acculturation moderated this relationship (B = 0.04, 95% CI = [-0.23, 0.32]). However, we found a significant relationship between PTS symptoms and acculturation level. Specifically, higher levels of acculturation were associated with more reports of PTS symptoms (B = 1.03, 95% CI = [0.13, 1.93]). These study results highlight the need to consider the role of acculturation when working with Hispanic youth involved with child welfare.

"I Thought It Was Normal": Adolescents' Attempts to Make Sense of Their Experiences of Domestic Violence in Their Families

This article describes the experience and impact of domestic violence on adolescents using qualitative methodology. It explores the meanings that adolescents give to their experiences and how this may relate to the impact of those experiences. Five adolescents who were receiving interventions within child and adolescent mental health services were interviewed about their experiences of domestic violence and the interviews were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The results suggest that adolescents had a range of thoughts and feelings connected to their experiences, and that the impact of the domestic violence may be related to the different meanings that the adolescents gave to their experiences and how they made sense of those experiences. The results are explored using theories such as Grych and Fincham's Cognitive-Contextual Model; Watkin's elaborated Control Theory; and the work on posttraumatic growth. Research and clinical implications are discussed in the light of the results.

How do young people who have experienced parental intimate partner abuse make sense of romantic relationships? A qualitative analysis

BACKGROUND

Approximately one in five children in UK have experienced parental intimate partner abuse (IPA). Research suggests that this is one of the strongest predictors of interpersonal aggression within adult relationships, as well as having significant negative impacts on mental and physical health. Both Attachment Theory (Ainsworth & Bell, 1970; Bowlby, 1969) and Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977) attempt to explain this intergenerational cycle of abuse.

OBJECTIVE

In line with Birmingham City Council's Domestic Abuse Prevention Strategy 2016-2020, the present study aimed to qualitatively explore the way in which young people who have experienced parental IPA make sense of romantic relationships.

PARTICIPANTS

Six young people (females = 4, males = 2), aged between 10-13 years (M = 11.16, SD = 1.17), participated in the study.

METHOD

Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data were analysed using Framework Analysis to generate themes both inductively and deductively.

RESULTS

Three superordinate themes were identified, namely 'Recipe for a Healthy Relationship', 'When Things Go Wrong', and 'What is a Romantic Relationship?'. Concepts of equality and respect were frequently referenced by participants as part of the interviews. Findings are discussed in relation to practical implications and directions for future research.

Systemic Factors Associated With Prosocial Skills and Maladaptive Functioning in Youth Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence

Children are frequently present in homes in which intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs. Following exposure to IPV, children may develop behavioral health difficulties, struggle with regulating emotions, or exhibit aggression. Despite the negative outcomes associated with witnessing IPV, many children also display resilience. Guided by Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model, this study examined person-level, process-level (microsystem), and context-level (mesosystem) factors associated with positive and negative functioning among youth exposed to IPV. Participants were 118 mothers who reported on their 6- to 14-year-old children. All mothers experienced severe physical, psychological, and/or sexual IPV in the past 6 months. Linear regression modeling was conducted separately for youth maladaptive functioning and prosocial skills. The linear regression model for maladaptive functioning was significant, F(6, 110) = 9.32, p < .001, adj R² = 27%, with more severe IPV (β = .18, p < .05) and more negative parenting practices (β = .34, p < .001) associated with worse child outcomes. The model for prosocial skills was also significant, F(6, 110) = 3.34, p < .01, adj. R² = 14%, with less negative parenting practices (β = -.26, p < .001) and greater community connectedness (β = .17, p < .05) linked to more prosocial skills. These findings provide critical knowledge on specific mutable factors associated with positive and negative functioning among children in the context of IPV exposure. Such factors could be incorporated into strength-based interventions following family violence.

Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Parenting and Children's Externalizing Behaviors: Transactional Processes Over Time

This study used longitudinal data to examine the transactional associations between mothers’ spanking and mother–child relationship quality with children’s externalizing behaviors in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV). Data came from a sample of 1,152 low-income mothers with children age 10–14 years. Results showed that past-year IPV triggered transactional associations by increasing children’s externalizing behaviors which, in turn, increased spanking and subsequently more externalizing behaviors. Transactional associations were also found for relationship quality. All outcomes used were mothers-reported except relationship quality. Implications for practice include the importance of the mother–child dyad and their reciprocal processes in assessment and treatment.

Exposure to Domestic Violence during Adolescence: Coping Strategies and Attachment Styles as Early Moderators and their Relationship to Functioning during Adulthood

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of exposure to domestic violence during adolescence on an individual's psychological health, ability to regulate emotions, and sense of satisfaction with life, during adulthood. Additionally, it aimed to investigate the long-term role of different coping strategies and attachment with primary caregiver, during adolescence, as potential moderators in the relationship between severity of domestic violence exposure during adolescence and an individual's functioning during adulthood. A total of 218 adult participants completed measures regarding exposure to domestic violence, engagement in coping strategies, and attachment with primary caregiver, during adolescence, and psychological health, ability to regulate emotions, and sense of satisfaction with life, during adulthood. Ninety-two participants reported domestic violence exposure during adolescence. Two-way analyses of variance indicated that participants who were exposed to domestic violence during adolescence were more likely to report negative functioning during adulthood. Correlational analysis indicated that severity of domestic violence exposure during adolescence was positively correlated with engagement in avoidance-focused coping strategies and insecure attachment, during adolescence, and negative functioning during adulthood. Moderation analyses indicated that engagement in avoidance-focused coping strategies and insecure attachment with primary caregiver, during adolescence, moderated the relationship between severity of domestic violence exposure during adolescence and functioning during adulthood, but only in low-moderate severity of exposure to domestic violence. These findings confirm the long-term impact of domestic violence exposure during adolescence on an individual's functioning during adulthood, and provide new information that certain coping strategies and attachment with primary caregiver during adolescence may buffer against the impact.

Resilient Adult Daughters of Abused Women: Turning Pain Into Purpose

Through the use of purposive sampling and the grounded theory method, this qualitative study delineates factors that promote adaptation and end family patterns of violence and dysfunction in the case of resilient adult daughters of abused women (N = 29). Coping processes included distancing from the family, seeking understanding and acceptance, and finding meaning and purpose. Motivating factors included learning what not to do from their families and breaking the cycle of violence and dysfunction from occurring in their adult lives. We learn how daughters of abused women may create a life informed, rather than directed, by their childhood adversity.

The mediating role of posttraumatic stress reactions in the relationship between child abuse and physical health complaints in adolescence and young adulthood

Background: Child abuse is associated with physical health problems in adolescence and adulthood, but the mechanisms involved are unclear. A possible mediating effect of posttraumatic stress reactions (PTSR) linking child abuse with later physical health complaints has not been fully investigated. Objective: The current study investigated whether PTSR could be a potential mediator in the relationship between child abuse and physical health complaints in adolescents and young adults. If so, we also investigated whether this was the case for different child abuse types alone or in combination. Method: The study sample comprised 506 adolescents and young adult victims of child abuse and 504 unexposed matched controls aged 16-33 from a community sample. We measured child abuse retrospectively and current PTSR at wave 1 (2013), and current physical health complaints at wave 2 (2014/15). We tested a model of PTSR as a possible mediator between child abuse and physical health complaints and conducted causal mediation analysis to estimate direct and indirect pathways. Each child abuse type was studied in isolation and in combination with other abuse types. Results: PTSR had a notable, significant mediating effect on the relationship between child abuse and physical health complaints in our overall model (average causal mediation effect; ACME = 0.14, p < 0.001), accounting for 85% of the total effect. The mediated pathway was also significant in analyses of the different child abuse types. The mediating effect of PTSR was most prominent in individuals reporting exposure to more than one child abuse type. Conclusions: The current study indicates that PTSR may be an important mediator in the relationship between child abuse and physical health complaints. Health professionals should be aware of the important role that PTSR may have in maintaining or exacerbating physical health problems in child abuse victims. However, a reverse model could not be tested in this study and the results need confirmation in future prospective studies.

Intimate Partner Sexual Violence: An Often Overlooked Problem

BACKGROUND

Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) is a common but often overlooked form of intimate partner violence (IPV) that may have unique consequences for those who experience it. We aimed to explore how outcomes associated with IPSV differ from outcomes associated with other forms of intimate partner and sexual violence.

METHODS

We conducted a narrative review of the English-language literature, including original research studies and reports that focused on outcomes associated with IPSV. We aimed to quantify the risk for health outcomes associated with exposure to IPSV in comparison with exposure to other forms of interpersonal violence or nonexposure to interpersonal violence.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight publications were reviewed, most were small observational studies focused on women exposed to IPSV. Reported outcomes were related to mental health (n = 20 studies), physical and sexual health (n = 19 studies), and health of children with a parent exposed to IPSV (n = 1 study). Compared with other forms of interpersonal violence, exposure to IPSV was associated with greater risk for posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive symptoms, problematic substance use, suicidality, pain and other somatic symptoms, adverse sexual health problems, specific physical injuries including strangulation, and death by homicide. Children with an exposed parent were at higher risk for internalizing symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and somatization.

CONCLUSIONS

Sexual violence in intimate partner relationships is common and has distinct consequences compared with other forms of interpersonal violence including elevated risks for suicidality and death by homicide. It should be given special consideration within the assessment and management of interpersonal violence.

Concomitant Exposure to Animal Maltreatment and Socioemotional Adjustment among Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: a Mixed Methods Study

This study uses a mixed-methods approach to examine how patterns of exposure to animal maltreatment (AM) are related to socioemotional adjustment among children (N = 291) recruited from intimate partner violence (IPV) services. First, latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify subgroups of children with similar patterns of socioemotional functioning. Next, qualitative data from mothers and children were analyzed to identify thematic patterns in AM exposure among two subgroups of children identified through the LPA: Asymptomatic children and children with Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties (EBD). Seven themes were identified. Overall, EBD children, when compared to Asymptomatic children, were more likely to: a) have been exposed to severe forms of violence against animals, b) have experienced direct victimization by an IPV perpetrator following an effort to protect a pet, and c) express justification and normalization of violence against pets. Implications of our findings for research and clinical practice are discussed.

The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence Exposure in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Developmental Psychopathology Approach

Despite increased attention on parental intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure, a relative paucity of research has examined the developmental consequences of this traumatic experience within a life span approach. The aim of the present study was to examine how parental IPV exposure may relate to mental health during the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood. Furthermore, we examined whether the impact of parental IPV exposure was unique from more commonly studied maltreatment experiences, specifically neglect and physical abuse. A large, racially and ethnically diverse sample (N_baseline = 1,042; 56% female; M_age = 15.1, SD = 0.79; 31.4% Hispanic, 29.4% White, 27.9% African American, 3.6% Asian, 7.7% biracial or other) of adolescents completed a baseline assessment for parental physical IPV exposure and maltreatment as well as measures for symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress, and substance use, annually for 6 consecutive years. Mixed-level modeling was used to examine how parental IPV exposure was uniquely associated with different patterns of mental health across developmental epochs. Findings demonstrated a multifaceted relation with mental health. For internalizing symptoms, the effect was pronounced during adolescence, and neglect increased the risk for depression symptomatology. Meanwhile, parental-IPV-exposed adolescents were at increasing risk for substance use as they aged into adulthood. Symptom levels and trajectories were independent and distinct from maltreatment experiences. This study helps illuminate parental IPV exposure's unique influence on well-being during vulnerable developmental periods. It also calls attention to the importance of developing suitable intervention/prevention programs to target this vulnerable population.

Mother's IPV, Child Maltreatment Type and the Presence of PTSD in Children and Adolescents

This correlational cross-sectional study was designed to investigate whether the intimate partner violence (IPV) suffered by mothers (physical and psychological maltreatment), child eyewitness of psychological and physical maltreatment suffered by the mother, the neglect suffered by children, and the maltreatment (physical and psychological) directly suffered by children are statistically associated to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms exhibited by the child. In addition, the prevalence of child PTSD was estimated, as well as the concordance between the PTSD symptoms assessed by the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for child PTSD. The sample consisted of 152 Spanish children aged 8 to 17 and their mothers, who were recruited from Centers of Specialized Assistance for Women Victims of IPV. PTSD prevalence was 20.4%. The results of a canonical correlation analysis showed that the two types of maltreatment with the largest contribution to the canonical variable were physical maltreatment directly suffered by the child, and child eyewitness of physical maltreatment suffered by the mother. The potential developmental pathway of PTSD when both children and mothers suffer severe maltreatment needs to be examined, and this will contribute to the choice of the most effective type of specialized intervention.

Children exposed to intimate partner violence: Identifying differential effects of family environment on children's trauma and psychopathology symptoms through regression mixture models

The majority of analytic approaches aimed at understanding the influence of environmental context on children's socioemotional adjustment assume comparable effects of contextual risk and protective factors for all children. Using self-reported data from 289 maternal caregiver-child dyads, we examined the degree to which there are differential effects of severity of intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure, yearly household income, and number of children in the family on posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS) and psychopathology symptoms (i.e., internalizing and externalizing problems) among school-age children between the ages of 7-12 years. A regression mixture model identified three latent classes that were primarily distinguished by differential effects of IPV exposure severity on PTS and psychopathology symptoms: (1) asymptomatic with low sensitivity to environmental factors (66% of children), (2) maladjusted with moderate sensitivity (24%), and (3) highly maladjusted with high sensitivity (10%). Children with mothers who had higher levels of education were more likely to be in the maladjusted with moderate sensitivity group than the asymptomatic with low sensitivity group. Latino children were less likely to be in both maladjusted groups compared to the asymptomatic group. Overall, the findings suggest differential effects of family environmental factors on PTS and psychopathology symptoms among children exposed to IPV. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Exposure to Family Violence, Perceived Psychological Adjustment of Parents, and the Development of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Palestinian University Students

The article presents the results of a study on the relationship between exposure to (i.e., witnessing and experiencing) different patterns and types of family violence during childhood, during adolescence, and during young adulthood, on one hand, and adult post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), on the other. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,969 Palestinian students using a self-administered questionnaire. The results reveal that the more the participants witnessed and experienced psychological aggression (PS) and physical violence (PH) in their families of origin, the more they exhibited PTSS. Furthermore, the results indicate that a significant amount of the variance in the participants' PTSS could be attributed to their exposure to family violence, over and above the amounts of variance that were explained by their sociodemographic characteristics and by their perceptions of their parents' psychological adjustment. The limitations of the study and implications for future research are discussed.

“This Is About Me”

Two community-based agencies collaborated to create a program for justice-involved female intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors and their children. Our research team conducted a feasibility study of the children’s program using an exploratory, multimethod qualitative design with child participants ( n = 8), adult participants ( n = 18), and providers ( n = 7). Analyses determined four key findings: (a) importance of attendance; (b) the need for a flexible, child-driven curriculum; (c) improvement through expression and peer bonding; and (d) the value of specific program content. The findings point to indispensable program elements and enhancement recommendations. Implications for other communities and providers serving IPV-exposed children are described.

Collective efficacy and the contingent consequences of exposure to life-threatening violence

Neighborhood research has increasingly emphasized the potential for contextual characteristics to moderate the effects of youths' experiences on their outcomes. Drawing on collective efficacy theory, we examine the variable consequences of youths' exposures to life-threatening violence across neighborhoods. We argue that strong community normative orientations supporting the control of violence diminish the negative effect of exposure to severe violence on subsequent mental health among urban youth. We also consider the extent to which the consequences of exposure to violence vary by gender. Employing data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, we estimate a series of multivariate, multilevel linear models of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Results indicate that, for girls, exposure to life-threatening violence (witnessing someone being attacked with a weapon or shot) increases both internalizing and externalizing symptoms. However, this effect achieves statistical significance only for girls who reside in neighborhoods with lower collective efficacy. For boys, our analyses offered weaker evidence of violence exposure effects on mental health. Implications for research on the social context of mental health are discussed.

Indicated and selective preventive interventions

Exposure to traumatic events places children at risk for developing distressing, significant emotional reactions such as posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). These reactions also affect long-term functional outcomes. Research on identified and potential risk factors for the development of significant, persistent PTSS is under way. Evidence for preventive interventions is in its infancy but progressing. Family-centered interventions comprising education about emotional reactions to traumatic events and focusing on communication between children and parents show promising results. Only morphine has shown sufficient evidence as a pharmacologic intervention in children. Additional research is necessary to support the establishment of gold-standard preventive practices.

Effects of Exposure to Community Violence and Family Violence on School Functioning Problems among Urban Youth: The Potential Mediating Role of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms

Adolescents who are exposed to violence during childhood are at an increased risk for developing posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms. The literature suggests that violence exposure might also have negative effects on school functioning, and that PTS might serve as a potential mediator in this association. The purpose of the current study was to replicate and extend prior research by examining PTS symptoms as a mediator of the relationship between two types of violence exposure and school functioning problems among adolescent youth from an urban setting. Participants included a sample of 121 junior high and high school students (M = 15 years; range = 13–16 years; 60 males, 61 females) within high-crime neighborhoods. Consistent with our hypotheses, community violence and family violence were associated with PTS symptoms and school functioning problems. Our data suggest that community and family violence were indirectly related to school functioning problems through PTS symptoms. Findings from this study demonstrate that PTS symptoms potentially mediate the relationship between violence exposure and school functioning problems across two settings (community and home). Future research should further examine protective factors that can prevent youth violence exposure as well as negative outcomes related to violence.

PTSD symptoms in young children exposed to intimate partner violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) places infants and young children at risk for development of trauma symptoms. However, this is an understudied consequence of IPV because young children pose particular difficulties for assessment of trauma symptoms. The authors collected maternal reports on mothers' and children's posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and IPV yearly, from ages 1 to 7. Approximately half of the children exposed to IPV at each time period developed some trauma symptoms, and frequency of IPV witnessed was associated with PTSD symptoms. Maternal and child PTSD symptoms were correlated, suggesting that young children may be particularly vulnerable to relational PTSD due to their close physical and emotional relationship with their parents.

Maternal childhood abuse, intimate partner violence, and child psychopathology: the mediator role of mothers' mental health

This study examined the mediator role of mothers' mental health in the relationship among maternal childhood abuse (CA), intimate partner violence (IPV), and offspring's psychopathology, and explored whether mediational pathways were moderated by children's sex. Participants were 327 Spanish outpatient children, 8 to 17 years old, and their mothers. Mothers' global psychological distress and depressive symptoms mediated the associations between mothers' violence history and children's externalizing problems. However, only depressive symptoms fully mediated these relationships. Children's sex did not have a moderating role in adjusted paths. Mothers' depressive symptoms are an important mechanism by which maternal violence experiences could affect externalizing problems in Spanish children.

The effects of intimate partner violence on women and child survivors: an attachment perspective

Approximately 25% of women in the United States report having experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) in an adult relationship with a male partner. For affected women, IPV has been shown to increase the risk of psychopathology such as depression, anxiety, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Further, studies suggest that the risk of IPV (victimization or perpetration) may be carried intergenerationally, and children exposed to IPV are at a greater risk of both attachment insecurity and internalizing/externalizing problems. The authors employ an attachment perspective to describe how insecure/non-balanced working models of the relational self and others may be evoked by, elicit, or exacerbate maladaptive outcomes following experiences of IPV for mothers and their children. This article draws on both rich theory and empirical evidence in a discussion of attachment patterns in violent relationships, psychopathological outcomes for exposed women, disruptions in the caregiving relationship that may confer risk to children of exposed mothers, and the biological, social, and attachment risk factors for children exposed to IPV. A clinical case example is presented and discussed in the context of attachment theory.

Family Closeness and Domestic Abuse Among Caribbean and South American Women in South Florida

This paper focuses on the importance of family member closeness as a protective factor against domestic abuse. We explore the link between long-lasting relations within the family and intra-familial violence perpetrated against women in Latino households in South Florida. We use data from an Inter-generational Transmission of Drug Use between Latina Mothers and Daughters (ITDMD) study. The study includes data on family relations and domestic abuse. We estimate a series of multivariate regressions to obtain the probability of abuse against women, the types of abuse inflicted and the relationship with the abusers. Our results indicate that among abused women, the effects of long-lasting relations within the family differ depending on the type of relationship between the abuser and the victim and the degree of closeness the victim feels towards other family members. Given these findings, there is a need to further study family relations and abuse in Latino households.

Relation between childhood maltreatment and severe intrafamilial male-perpetrated physical violence in Chinese community: the mediating role of borderline and antisocial personality disorder features

This study investigates the role of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) features as mediators of the effects of childhood maltreatment on severe intrafamilial physical violence amongst Chinese male perpetrators. A cross-sectional survey and face-to-face interview were conducted to examine childhood maltreatment, personality disorder features, impulsivity, aggression, and severe intrafamilial physical violence in a community sample of 206 abusive men in China. The results suggest that ASPD or BPD features mediate between childhood maltreatment and intimate partner violence perpetration in Chinese abusive men. These findings may yield clinical and forensic implications for assessing the psychopathology of abusive men, and may steer the intervention of intimate partner violence.

Comparison of Parent and Child Reports on Child Maltreatment in a Representative Household Sample in Hong Kong

This study investigated and compared the rates of child maltreatment as reported by parents and children. Self-reports of 1,093 children aged 12 to 18, which were matched with both parents' records, were compared and analyzed in the study. The levels of agreement between parent and child reporting of various kinds of parental child maltreatment were low to moderate. Factors affecting the disagreement in reports were also investigated. Social desirability and violence approval were the common predictors of disagreement in father-child and mother-child reports, respectively. The low agreement between parent-child reports found in the present study highlights the need for the inclusion of both parent and child reports on maltreatment in future clinical screening and intervention programs.

Violence, a risk factor for poor mental health in adolescence: a Danish nationally representative youth survey

AIMS

To analyze mental health associations between youth's exposure to physical violence outside the home and at home, including witnessing domestic violence, and to describe gender differences in the associations.

METHODS

A multimedia computer-based survey among a nationally representative sample of 6,200 9th grade pupils included data on violence victimization, symptoms of anxiety and depression, psychosocial and health behaviour factors. Analyses included gender stratified cross-tabulations and logistic regressions.

RESULTS

Direct associations were found for both sexes between anxiety and depression and exposure to mild and severe physical violence both outside the home and at home. Adjusted for possible confounding factors, associations for severe violence exposure both at home and outside the home were found only among girls; odds ratio (OR): 2.4 [1.3-4.7]) and OR: 3.0 [1.1-8.6], respectively. Exposure to severe violence at home remained a strong risk factor for internalizing symptoms for boys, OR: 3.6 [1.4-9.2]. In the adjusted model, a stronger association was found between bad relationships with peers and poor mental health for boys than for girls; OR: 2.0 [1.6-2.3] and OR: 1.4 [1.3-1.6], respectively. For both sexes, witnessing physical violence against mother at home was associated with mental health problems, but did not remain a risk factor when adjusted for confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

Gender differences exist in harmful mental health associations with regard to exposure to violence. For girls, violence outside the home is a stronger risk factor than violence at home, compared with boys.

Racial discrimination: a continuum of violence exposure for children of color

This article reviews and examines findings on the impact of racial discrimination on the development and functioning of children of color in the US. Based on current definitions of violence and child maltreatment, exposure to racial discrimination should be considered as a form of violence that can significantly impact child outcomes and limit the ability of parents and communities to provide support that promotes resiliency and optimal child development. In this article, a conceptual model of the effects of racial discrimination in children of color is presented. The model posits that exposure to racial discrimination may be a chronic source of trauma in the lives of many children of color that negatively influences mental and physical outcomes as well as parent and community support and functioning. Concurrent exposure to other forms of violence, including domestic, interpersonal and/or community violence, may exacerbate these effects. The impact of a potential continuum of violence exposure for children of color in the US and the need for future research and theoretical models on children's exposure to violence that attend to the impact of racial discrimination on child outcomes are discussed.

The impact of exposure to domestic violence on children and young people: a review of the literature

OBJECTIVE

This article reviews the literature concerning the impact of exposure to domestic violence on the health and developmental well-being of children and young people. Impact is explored across four separate yet inter-related domains (domestic violence exposure and child abuse; impact on parental capacity; impact on child and adolescent development; and exposure to additional adversities), with potential outcomes and key messages concerning best practice responses to children's needs highlighted.

METHOD

A comprehensive search of identified databases was conducted within an 11-year framework (1995-2006). This yielded a vast literature which was selectively organized and analyzed according to the four domains identified above.

RESULTS

This review finds that children and adolescents living with domestic violence are at increased risk of experiencing emotional, physical and sexual abuse, of developing emotional and behavioral problems and of increased exposure to the presence of other adversities in their lives. It also highlights a range of protective factors that can mitigate against this impact, in particular a strong relationship with and attachment to a caring adult, usually the mother.

CONCLUSION

Children and young people may be significantly affected by living with domestic violence, and impact can endure even after measures have been taken to secure their safety. It also concludes that there is rarely a direct causal pathway leading to a particular outcome and that children are active in constructing their own social world. Implications for interventions suggest that timely, appropriate and individually tailored responses need to build on the resilient blocks in the child's life.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

This study illustrate the links between exposure to domestic violence, various forms of child abuse and other related adversities, concluding that such exposure may have a differential yet potentially deleterious impact for children and young people. From a resilient perspective this review also highlights range of protective factors that influence the extent of the impact of exposure and the subsequent outcomes for the child. This review advocates for a holistic and child-centered approach to service delivery, derived from an informed assessment, designed to capture a picture of the individual child's experience, and responsive to their individual needs.