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PTSD symptoms in young children exposed to intimate partner violence

Alytia A Levendosky1, G Anne Bogat, Cecilia Martinez-Torteya

  • 1Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. levendo1@msu.edu

Violence Against Women
|February 20, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure in early childhood is linked to trauma symptoms. Maternal reports show a correlation between witnessed IPV frequency and child PTSD symptoms, indicating young children

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Trauma Studies
  • Domestic Violence Research

Background:

  • Intimate partner violence (IPV) poses risks to infant and young child development.
  • Assessing trauma symptoms in young children exposed to IPV presents unique challenges.
  • The long-term impact of IPV on early childhood trauma is an understudied area.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and trauma symptoms in young children.
  • To examine the relationship between maternal and child posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
  • To understand the developmental trajectory of trauma symptoms in children exposed to IPV from ages 1 to 7.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study collecting maternal reports annually from child's age 1 to 7.
  • Data collection included intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure, maternal PTSD symptoms, and child PTSD symptoms.
  • Statistical analysis to determine correlations between IPV frequency, maternal PTSD, and child PTSD.

Main Results:

  • Approximately 50% of children exposed to IPV developed trauma symptoms.
  • Higher frequency of witnessed IPV was significantly associated with increased PTSD symptoms in children.
  • Maternal and child PTSD symptoms were positively correlated.

Conclusions:

  • Early childhood exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant risk factor for trauma symptom development.
  • Young children exposed to IPV exhibit trauma symptoms and PTSD, with symptoms correlating to maternal PTSD.
  • Children may be especially vulnerable to relational PTSD due to their close parent-child bonds.

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