Child Witness to Domestic Abuse: 7-Year Prospective Study
Child Witness to Domestic Abuse: 7-Year Prospective Study
Children who witness the abuse of their mother by an intimate partner suffer negative effects on behavioral functioning. In this study, 300 abused women seeking services for abuse were interviewed regarding how often their child had witnessed the abuse. Baseline data for this study found that boys who witnessed abuse had externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems comparable to boys in clinical treatment. Girls did not display clinically significant behaviors. For evidence-based programs to interrupt the effect of witness to violence on children, empirical data that are gender-specific are needed. Findings support the need to screen mothers for abuse during well-child visits and offer education to all mothers on the possible effects of child witness to violence in the home.
Children who witness the abuse of their mothers are at risk for serious behavioral problems. About 4.8 million women are assaulted by an intimate partner each year in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011). Many abused women have children who often witness the violence.
It is estimated that one child in 15 witnessed (i.e., heard or viewed) partner violence in the past year, and one child in every four will witness violence within the child's lifetime. When extrapolated to the United States population, this equates to 8.2 million children witnessing partner violence each year, and 18.8 million children witnessing partner violence at least once during their lifetime (Hamby, Finkelhor, Turner, & Ormrod, 2011). Girls and boys are equally exposed to violence in the home. Perpetrators of partner violence are overwhelmingly male (92%), and 73% of these males are fathers of the child witness or boyfriends of the mother of the child witness (Hamby et al., 2011).
Empirical evidence exists that children exposed to partner violence have more emotional and behavioral problems when compared to children who do not witness abuse (Kitzman, Gaylord, Holt, & Kenny, 2003; Moylan et al., 2010; Wolfe, Crooks, Lee, McIntyre-Smith, & Jaffe, 2003). More specifically, children who witness partner violence show more signs of internalizing (e.g., withdrawal, anxiety, depression) and externalizing (e.g., aggression, attention disorders, rule-breaking) behaviors (Hazen, Connelly, Kelleher, Barth, & Landsverk, 2006; McFarlane, Groff, O'Brien, & Watson, 2003). There is also evidence that increasing severity of violence against the mother and frequency of witnessing the violence are associated with more externalizing and internalizing problems in children (Lemmey et al., 2001). Additionally, there is reason to believe that children who witness violence in the home are more likely to be come abusers and victims of abuse (Osofsky, 1995; Roberts, Gilman, Fitzmaurice, Decker, & Koenen, 2010).
Many studies have explored how the child's gender may modify the internalizing and externalizing behaviors of children exposed to partner violence (Evans, Davies, & DiLillo, 2008; Kitzman et al., 2003; Wolfe et al., 2003). In a meta-analysis of 118 published and unpublished studies from 1978–2000, Kitzmam et al. (2003) found gender did not mediate (i.e., affect) the internalizing or externalizing behaviors of children who witnessed partner violence. In contrast, the meta-analysis of 41 studies from 1980–2003 found that boys who were exposed to partner violence displayed more externalizing behaviors than girls who were exposed to partner violence (Wolfe et al., 2003). However, Wolfe et al. (2003) re-examined these results by excluding studies that reported boy-only behaviors and found that the gender difference disappeared. Evans et al. (2008) conducted a meta-analysis of 61 studies published between 1999–2006 that examined the relationship between partner violence and children's internalizing and externalizing problems, and found no significant difference for boys and girls internalizing problems. However, there was a significant difference between boys and girls externalizing problems. Boys who had a history of witnessing partner violence exhibited significantly more externalizing behaviors than did girls who had similar histories. Evans et al. further excluded three studies that reported boy-only behaviors and found that, unlike Wolfe and associates (2003), there was no significant change in effect size; therefore, gender differences remained, and boys displayed more externalizing behaviors.
Kerig (1999) studied a community sample of 102 families in which both husband and wife reported some physical aggression had occurred in the past year. Children in these families were assessed for internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Boys were found to have increased symptoms of internalizing and externalizing behaviors, while girls were at risk for developing internalizing problems.
Many women are abused, and many children witness the abuse. Witnessing the abuse has negative effects on child functioning, with the literature supporting boys more likely to be affected with negative externalizing behaviors of acting out, aggression, and hostility compared to girl witnesses. If evidence-based programs are to be developed to interrupt the effects of witness to violence on children, then gender-specific evidence is needed to maximize the healing of children and prevent further abuse. To extend evidence for clinical programs and policy guidelines to promote child wellness and healthy families, a prospective study of 300 women with children was undertaken. This study on child witness to partner violence is from the entry data of the study. We found no similar data in the literature and believe this study represents a first attempt to examine the inter-generational effects of child witness to violence against the mother on behavioral functioning of the child, specific to gender.
Based on the existing body of literature, specific research questions for this article include:
Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Children who witness the abuse of their mother by an intimate partner suffer negative effects on behavioral functioning. In this study, 300 abused women seeking services for abuse were interviewed regarding how often their child had witnessed the abuse. Baseline data for this study found that boys who witnessed abuse had externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems comparable to boys in clinical treatment. Girls did not display clinically significant behaviors. For evidence-based programs to interrupt the effect of witness to violence on children, empirical data that are gender-specific are needed. Findings support the need to screen mothers for abuse during well-child visits and offer education to all mothers on the possible effects of child witness to violence in the home.
Introduction
Children who witness the abuse of their mothers are at risk for serious behavioral problems. About 4.8 million women are assaulted by an intimate partner each year in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011). Many abused women have children who often witness the violence.
It is estimated that one child in 15 witnessed (i.e., heard or viewed) partner violence in the past year, and one child in every four will witness violence within the child's lifetime. When extrapolated to the United States population, this equates to 8.2 million children witnessing partner violence each year, and 18.8 million children witnessing partner violence at least once during their lifetime (Hamby, Finkelhor, Turner, & Ormrod, 2011). Girls and boys are equally exposed to violence in the home. Perpetrators of partner violence are overwhelmingly male (92%), and 73% of these males are fathers of the child witness or boyfriends of the mother of the child witness (Hamby et al., 2011).
Empirical evidence exists that children exposed to partner violence have more emotional and behavioral problems when compared to children who do not witness abuse (Kitzman, Gaylord, Holt, & Kenny, 2003; Moylan et al., 2010; Wolfe, Crooks, Lee, McIntyre-Smith, & Jaffe, 2003). More specifically, children who witness partner violence show more signs of internalizing (e.g., withdrawal, anxiety, depression) and externalizing (e.g., aggression, attention disorders, rule-breaking) behaviors (Hazen, Connelly, Kelleher, Barth, & Landsverk, 2006; McFarlane, Groff, O'Brien, & Watson, 2003). There is also evidence that increasing severity of violence against the mother and frequency of witnessing the violence are associated with more externalizing and internalizing problems in children (Lemmey et al., 2001). Additionally, there is reason to believe that children who witness violence in the home are more likely to be come abusers and victims of abuse (Osofsky, 1995; Roberts, Gilman, Fitzmaurice, Decker, & Koenen, 2010).
Many studies have explored how the child's gender may modify the internalizing and externalizing behaviors of children exposed to partner violence (Evans, Davies, & DiLillo, 2008; Kitzman et al., 2003; Wolfe et al., 2003). In a meta-analysis of 118 published and unpublished studies from 1978–2000, Kitzmam et al. (2003) found gender did not mediate (i.e., affect) the internalizing or externalizing behaviors of children who witnessed partner violence. In contrast, the meta-analysis of 41 studies from 1980–2003 found that boys who were exposed to partner violence displayed more externalizing behaviors than girls who were exposed to partner violence (Wolfe et al., 2003). However, Wolfe et al. (2003) re-examined these results by excluding studies that reported boy-only behaviors and found that the gender difference disappeared. Evans et al. (2008) conducted a meta-analysis of 61 studies published between 1999–2006 that examined the relationship between partner violence and children's internalizing and externalizing problems, and found no significant difference for boys and girls internalizing problems. However, there was a significant difference between boys and girls externalizing problems. Boys who had a history of witnessing partner violence exhibited significantly more externalizing behaviors than did girls who had similar histories. Evans et al. further excluded three studies that reported boy-only behaviors and found that, unlike Wolfe and associates (2003), there was no significant change in effect size; therefore, gender differences remained, and boys displayed more externalizing behaviors.
Kerig (1999) studied a community sample of 102 families in which both husband and wife reported some physical aggression had occurred in the past year. Children in these families were assessed for internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Boys were found to have increased symptoms of internalizing and externalizing behaviors, while girls were at risk for developing internalizing problems.
Many women are abused, and many children witness the abuse. Witnessing the abuse has negative effects on child functioning, with the literature supporting boys more likely to be affected with negative externalizing behaviors of acting out, aggression, and hostility compared to girl witnesses. If evidence-based programs are to be developed to interrupt the effects of witness to violence on children, then gender-specific evidence is needed to maximize the healing of children and prevent further abuse. To extend evidence for clinical programs and policy guidelines to promote child wellness and healthy families, a prospective study of 300 women with children was undertaken. This study on child witness to partner violence is from the entry data of the study. We found no similar data in the literature and believe this study represents a first attempt to examine the inter-generational effects of child witness to violence against the mother on behavioral functioning of the child, specific to gender.
Based on the existing body of literature, specific research questions for this article include:
Are there differences in the proportions of girls with borderline or clinically significant behavioral functioning score across levels of hearing, witnessing, or trying to stop abuse against their mother by a male intimate?
Are there differences in the proportions of boys with borderline or clinically significant behavioral functioning score across levels of hearing, witnessing, or trying to stop abuse against their mother by a male intimate?
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