Intimate partner violence victimization and parenting: A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• Previous research on intimate partner violence (IPV) and parenting primarily focused on perpetrator behavior or long-term exposure effects.
• A gap exists in understanding how IPV victimization directly influences a victim's parenting practices.
• This review specifically examines the impact of intimate partner violence on victim parenting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize existing literature on the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and parenting practices.
• To identify the specific parenting behaviors associated with IPV victimization in mothers of young children (≤11 years).
• To assess the quality and identify methodological limitations in current research.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across seven databases for studies published between 1970 and 2015.
• Included studies were comparative, focusing on children aged 11 years or younger.
• Study quality was assessed based on victim status confirmation, co-perpetration, population heterogeneity, and measurement standardization. Meta-analysis was performed on eligible studies.

Main Results:

• Of 13,038 studies reviewed, 33 met inclusion criteria, indicating a link between IPV victimization and negative parenting.
• Meta-analysis of 21 studies showed modest effect sizes with high heterogeneity, revealing negative correlations with positive parenting (r = -0.08) and positive correlations with physical aggression (r = 0.17) and neglect (r = 0.12).
• A trend towards a positive correlation was observed between IPV and psychological aggression (r = 0.23). Methodological issues were noted.

Conclusions:

• Intimate partner violence victimization is consistently associated with negative parenting practices, including increased physical aggression and neglect.
• The findings underscore the need for improved research methodologies to better understand the complex relationship between IPV and parenting.
• Interventions supporting victims of IPV should consider the impact on their parenting and provide targeted assistance.