Predictors of Child Behavior Problems Among Children of Female Vietnam Veterans

• NCJ Number: 221932
• Journal: Journal of Family Violence Volume: 23 Issue: 3 Dated: April 2008 Pages: 135-140
• Author(s): Laura E. Watkins; Casey T. Taft; Claire L. Hebenstreit; Lynda A. King; Daniel W. King
• Date Published: April 2008
• Length: 6 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the impact of intimate partner physical and psychological aggression by female Vietnam veterans and their male partners on their children's problem behavior among a subsample of female veterans participating in the National Vietnam Veteran's Readjustment Study (NVVRS; Kulka et al., 1990).

Abstract

Study findings indicate that physical and psychological aggression perpetrated by both the female veteran and her male partner were associated with their children's behavior problems; however, contrary to expectations, psychological distress in the female veteran and her male partner was not associated with the children's behavior problems and did not mediate the effects of physical and psychological aggression. This latter finding was unexpected and inconsistent with prior studies that examined psychological distress as a mediator of men's aggression (Street et al., 2003; Clarke et al, 2007). This suggests that aggressive behavior by the parents may have led to the children's problem behaviors through direct modeling or other mechanisms that were not examined in the current study. Differences in findings across studies may also be due to gender differences in the reporting of children's problem behaviors. Since an increasing number of women are entering the military, continued investigation of these issues is warranted. The study data came from the Family Interview component of the NVVRS, which involved 1-hour structured interviews with the veteran's spouse or cohabitating partner. The final sample consisted of 60 female veteran-male partner dyads and their 100 children. The Conflict Tactics Scale measured intimate partner physical and psychological aggression; psychological distress was measured with the Demoralization Subscale of the Psychiatric Epidemiological Research Interview. Child behavior problems were assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist. 2 tables and 30 references