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The Co-Occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Intimate Partner Violence in Families: Effects on Children's
Samantha M Brown1, Galena K Rhoades2, C Nathan Marti3
1School of Social Work, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Insights
Children exposed to family violence face risks of intimate partner violence (IPV) and behavioral issues. This study found distinct patterns of co-occurring family violence impact children
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology and Development
- Family Violence Research
- Public Health and Social Sciences
Background:
- Child maltreatment and exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) are significant risk factors for behavioral problems.
- Understanding the co-occurrence of different family violence forms is crucial for effective interventions.
- Children's developmental stages may influence their vulnerability to and outcomes from family violence exposure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine co-occurring forms of family violence and their relationship to children's externalizing behaviors.
- To investigate these relationships across different developmental stages: early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence.
- To identify distinct subgroups of children based on their exposure to combined family violence.
Main Methods:
- Utilized longitudinal data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II (NSCAW II) with 1,987 participants.
- Employed mixture modeling, specifically latent class analysis, to identify subgroups experiencing co-occurring family violence.
- Used regression models to assess the risk of externalizing behaviors associated with different latent classes across developmental periods.
Main Results:
- Identified three main latent classes of family violence exposure: high family violence, low family violence, and child physical abuse/psychological aggression.
- A fourth class, partner and child physical abuse/child psychological aggression, was identified specifically for early childhood.
- Membership in these classes significantly predicted differences in externalizing behavior scores across age groups and over time.
Conclusions:
- Distinct patterns of child maltreatment and IPV co-occurrence exist and have differential impacts on children's behavior.
- These findings highlight the need for integrated prevention and intervention strategies addressing dual exposure to maltreatment and IPV.
- Tailored approaches are necessary to mitigate the long-term behavioral consequences for children experiencing complex family violence.
Abstract:
Children exposed to maltreatment are at risk of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) and behavioral problems. This study examined different forms of family violence that co-occur and their relationship to children's externalizing behaviors across developmental stages (early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence). Longitudinal data (N = 1,987) at baseline and 18 months and 36 months post-baseline from the NSCAW II were used. Mixture modeling was employed in which latent class models estimated subgroups of children who experienced co-occurring forms of family violence; regression models estimated which subgroups of children were at risk of externalizing behaviors. Three latent classes were identified across developmental stages: high family violence, low family violence, and child physical abuse and psychological aggression. For children in early childhood, a fourth class was identified: partner and child physical abuse and child psychological aggression. Results from regression models revealed differences in externalizing scores by class membership across developmental age groups and over time. That distinct classes of child maltreatment and IPV co-occur and differentially impact children's behavior suggests a need for strong prevention and intervention responses to address children's dual maltreatment and IPV exposure.
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