Effects of early exposure and lifetime exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) on child adjustment

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Early Adolescent Male Mice
07:06

Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Early Adolescent Male Mice

Published on: January 24, 2025

Sandra A Graham-Bermann1, Suzanne Perkins

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109-1043, USA. sandragb@umich.edu

Violence and Victims
|August 18, 2010
PubMed

Insights

The cumulative amount of intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure significantly impacts child adjustment more than the age of first exposure (AFE). Higher cumulative violence exposure is linked to more behavioral problems in children.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Trauma Studies
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Early life exposure to traumatic events places children at risk for adjustment difficulties.
  • The relative impact of age of first exposure (AFE) versus cumulative violence exposure on child adjustment remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether AFE or cumulative violence exposure has a greater impact on the adjustment of children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV).

Main Methods:

  • Studied 190 children (ages 6-12) exposed to IPV.
  • Mothers reported on the duration of abusive relationships and children's exposure to violence.
  • Analyzed the relationship between AFE, cumulative violence, and child behavioral problems using regression analyses.

Main Results:

  • Both AFE and cumulative violence exposure were negatively associated with children's behavioral problems.
  • Cumulative violence exposure explained more variance in adjustment than AFE, even after controlling for covariates.
  • Cumulative violence exposure mediated the link between AFE and externalizing behaviors.

Conclusions:

  • Cumulative exposure to intimate partner violence has a more profound effect on child adjustment than the age of first exposure.
  • Interventions should consider the total burden of violence exposure when addressing adjustment issues in at-risk children.

More Related Videos

Rapid Fractionation and Isolation of Whole Blood Components in Samples Obtained from a Community-based Setting11:31

Rapid Fractionation and Isolation of Whole Blood Components in Samples Obtained from a Community-based Setting

Published on: November 30, 2015

Limited Bedding and Nesting as a Model for Early-Life Adversity in Mice04:20

Limited Bedding and Nesting as a Model for Early-Life Adversity in Mice

Published on: July 12, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Relationship with Parents: Attachment01:28

Relationship with Parents: Attachment

Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood03:34

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships.
Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles01:28

Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles

Attachment theory, developed initially to explain infant–caregiver bonds, has been extended to illuminate patterns of intimacy in adult romantic relationships. Psychologists Cindy Hazan and Phillip Shaver proposed that the attachment styles observed in infancy form a framework for how individuals approach emotional closeness and conflict in adulthood. These attachment styles—secure, avoidant, and anxious—are linked to enduring patterns of behavior and emotional regulation in adult relationships.
Attachment Styles01:24

Attachment Styles

Jeffrey Simpson's attachment theory suggests that early caregiver relationships shape lasting patterns of behavior and emotional regulation, known as attachment styles. These patterns are organized along two key dimensions: self-esteem and interpersonal trust. The intersection of these dimensions produces four primary attachment styles that typically persist throughout life and significantly influence how individuals form and maintain relationships.Secure Attachment StyleIndividuals with a...
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings01:29

Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings

Other adult family members and siblings play a crucial role in shaping children’s social and emotional development. While parents or primary caregivers are often the central figures in early attachment and socialization, other adults in a child’s life, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can significantly influence developmental outcomes. These influences depend on each adult’s personality and may help compensate when a primary caregiver is emotionally distant or inconsistent. For...