Community-based intervention for children exposed to intimate partner violence: an efficacy trial

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Family Violence Research
• Intervention Science

Background:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure negatively impacts children's behavior and attitudes.
• Effective interventions are needed to mitigate the effects of IPV on child development.
• Previous interventions have shown mixed results, necessitating further research into optimal program structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a community-based intervention program for children exposed to IPV.
• To compare the effectiveness of child-only intervention versus a child-plus-mother intervention (CM).
• To assess changes in children's externalizing/internalizing behaviors and attitudes toward violence.

Main Methods:

• 181 children (ages 6-12) and their mothers exposed to IPV were enrolled.
• Participants were sequentially assigned to child-only, child-plus-mother (CM), or wait-list control groups.
• A 2-level hierarchical linear model analyzed changes from baseline to postintervention and 8-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• The CM intervention group demonstrated the most significant improvements in externalizing problems and attitudes toward violence.
• From baseline to follow-up, CM children showed a 79% reduction in clinical externalizing scores.
• CM children also experienced a 77% reduction in clinical internalizing scores from baseline to follow-up.

Conclusions:

• The child-plus-mother intervention is highly effective in reducing behavior problems in children exposed to IPV.
• CM intervention positively impacts children's attitudes toward violence, promoting healthier perspectives.
• Community-based, mother-involved interventions offer a promising approach for supporting children affected by domestic violence.