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Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence, Psychopathology, and Functional Impairment in Children and Adolescents: Moderator Effect of Sex and Age

NCJ Number
237117
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 26 Issue: 7 Dated: October 2011 Pages: 535-543
Author(s)
Eduard Bayarri; Lourdes Ezpeleta; Roser Granero
Date Published
October 2011
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article examines the effect between different types of exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and child psychopathology and functional impairment.
Abstract
This work examines the moderator effect of sex and age on the relationship between different types of exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and child psychopathology and functional impairment. One hundred and sixty-six Spanish children aged 4-17 years exposed to intimate partner violence were assessed using a diagnostic interview and other instruments for the measurement of psychopathology and functional impairment. Participants were classified in 3 groups according to the degree of exposure: witness (N=77), involved (N=63) and victim (N=26). According to mothers' self-reports and mother-child combined information, boy victims of IPV showed more mood disorders than involved or witness boys. There were no other moderator effects of either sex or age. The effect of exposure to intimate partner violence among children was not dependent, in general, on the child's sex or age, and this has important implications for the assessment, treatment, and prevention of children's exposure to IPV. (Published Abstract)