NCJ Number
236365
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 35 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2011 Pages: 700-711
Date Published
2011
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study, which was conducted in Spain, examined the independent effects of mothers' experiences of childhood abuse and intimate partner violence (IPV) in adulthood on psychopathology and functional impairment in their children; the potentially moderating and mediating role of individual and family effects; and the potentially cumulative effects of both maternal CA and IPV on children's outcomes.
Abstract
The study found that children whose mothers experienced CA and those whose mothers had undergone physical IPV had increased DSM-IV disruptive disorder and externalizing behavior problems, respectively. Children who directly observed physical IPV and also experienced physical punishment by their parents manifested increased internalizing problems. Physical IPV had either direct or indirect effects on children's externalizing problems. Cumulative-effect analyses showed that the prevalence of disruptive disorders was highest in children whose mothers had suffered both CA and IPV. Thus, the physical punishment of children partly contributes to externalizing problems of IPV-exposed children. This suggests that these issues should warrant assessment and appropriate intervention for families seeking mental health services. The study sample consisted of 547 Spanish children and adolescents between the ages of 8 and 17 years old, along with their parents, who had accessed mental health services. The assessment was based on structured interviews with the children and their parents. Statistical analyses were conducted through hierarchical multiple, negative-binomial, and logistic regressions and structural equation models. 4 tables, 2 figures, and 53 references