Effects of Intimate Partner Violence and Maternal Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms on Children's Emotional and Behavioral Functioning

• NCJ Number: 223671
• Journal: Journal of Emotional Abuse Volume: 8 Issue: 1/2 Dated: 2008 Pages: 139-153
• Author(s): Kristin W. Samuelson; Caroline Cashman
• Date Published: 2008
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study tested the hypothesis that a child's emotional and behavioral response to witnessing intimate partner violence (IPV) in the home is most influenced by the mother's psychological health.

Abstract

The study found that a mother's posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) as a result of being a victim of IPV predicted children's emotional functioning, as reported by the mother, after accounting for the extent of the child's witnessing the IPV or the child's own history of maltreatment. Neither the child's maltreatment nor the extent of witnessing IPV predicted child difficulties in regulating his/her emotions. These findings suggest that a mother's PTSS plays a critical role in the child's emotional development, even to a greater extent than the child's exposure to violent incidents in the home. These findings may be explained by the mother's PTSS limiting her ability to express and feel positive emotions that are the key to forming a close bond with her child, which in turn deprives the child of an emotionally satisfying relationship with his mother. The authors also offer other possible explanations for the findings. Given these findings, intervention should focus on treating the mother's PTSS. Participants were 30 women who had experienced IPV in the past but had not been in a violent relationship for at least 6 months. They also had at least one child between the ages of 5 and 18 years old in the home. Participants were interviewed about their experience of IPV and asked to complete a battery of self-report measures as well as parent-report measures about their children. The mother's severity of PTSS was assessed with the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist. Children's emotional functioning and regulation was assessed with the Emotional Regulation Checklist, and their behavioral functioning was assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist. 3 tables and 43 references