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Internalizing and externalizing symptoms in young children exposed to intimate partner violence: examining

Amie Langer Zarling1, Sarah Taber-Thomas, Amanda Murray

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Iowa.

Journal of Family Psychology : JFP : Journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43)
|December 4, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) in mothers is linked to child behavior problems. Children's emotion dysregulation and harsh discipline act as key mediators, impacting internalizing and externalizing symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Family Studies

Background:

  • Intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure is a significant risk factor for adverse child outcomes.
  • Understanding the mediating mechanisms is crucial for developing effective interventions.
  • Previous research has explored various child and maternal factors, but comprehensive mediation models are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate emotion dysregulation, appraisals, maternal psychological functioning, and harsh discipline as mediators between IPV exposure and child outcomes.
  • To examine the differential mediation pathways for internalizing and externalizing problems.
  • To analyze these relationships in a sample of children aged 6-8 and their mothers receiving social services.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study design.
  • Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis.
  • Inclusion of 132 mother-child dyads with children aged 6-8 years.

Main Results:

  • Children's emotion dysregulation significantly mediated the relationship between IPV exposure and both internalizing and externalizing problems.
  • Harsh discipline mediated the link between IPV exposure and externalizing problems.
  • Child appraisals and maternal psychological functioning mediated the link between IPV exposure and internalizing problems.

Conclusions:

  • Emotion dysregulation is a critical pathway linking IPV exposure to a broad range of child behavioral issues.
  • Harsh discipline specifically contributes to externalizing behaviors following IPV exposure.
  • Targeting children's emotion regulation and cognitive appraisals, alongside maternal well-being, may mitigate the negative effects of IPV on child development.

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