NCJ Number
161883
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1996) Pages: 35-51
Date Published
1996
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article examines long-term psychological and social effects on persons who, before the age of 16, witnessed physical conflict between their parents.
Abstract
A community sample of 617 adult women completed a questionnaire about witnessing interparental physical conflicts before the age of 16. One hundred and twenty-three of the respondents reported witnessing some type of physical conflict between their parents. The mean age when physical conflict was first observed was 8 years. Women who had witnessed parental physical conflict exhibited higher levels of current psychological distress and lower levels of social adjustment. The differences in adult psychological and social adjustment between the witness and nonwitness groups persisted even after individually covarying for the influence of witnessing parental verbal conflict, childhood physical abuse, and perceived parental caring. The authors also discuss conceptual and methodological difficulties involved in trying to isolate the effects of witnessing parental physical conflicts from the effects of multiple overlapping family risk factors. Tables, references