NCJ Number
194768
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2002 Pages: 3-17
Date Published
2002
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This retrospective study looked at how intimate partner violence (IPV) damages a woman's physical and mental well-being and the adverse childhood experiences (ACE) children suffer who witness IPV.
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between witnessing IPV and the likelihood of experiencing ACEs in the first 18 years of life. The nine ACEs studied were verbal abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect, household substance abuse, mental illness in the household, parental separation or divorce, and incarcerated household members. The relationship between the frequency of witnessing IPV and the risk of substance abuse as an adult was also studied. Seventeen thousand three hundred and thirty seven (17,337) subjects comprised of 54 percent percent women and 46 percent men completed a comprehensive questionnaire about ACE, domestic violence, and substance abuse in their family and health related behaviors. The mean age was 55 for women and 58 for men. The results confirmed previous research: children whose mothers experienced IPV were more likely to suffer ACEs than children who are not exposed to IPV in the first 18 years of life. Moreover, as more ACEs were experienced, physical abuse increased the likelihood that these children would engage in physical abuse towards their partners later in life. Results also showed the more IPV a child witnessed, the greater the likelihood of substance abuse and depression later in life. The researchers caution more research is needed to know if witnessing IPV causes ACEs. Health care professionals need to screen for IPV and if found, screen the children of victims as well as integrate social services into the treatment of patients. Figures, tables, references