Children and Violence: The Role of Children’s Regulation in the Marital Aggression–Child Adjustment Link

Abstract

Exposure to marital psychological and physical abuse has been established as a risk factor for children's socio-emotional, behavioral, and cognitive problems. Understanding the processes by which children develop symptoms of psychopathology and deficits in cognitive functioning in the context of marital aggression is imperative for developing efficient and effective treatment programs for children and families, and has far-reaching mental health implications. The present paper outlines our research program, Child Regulation and Exposure to Marital Aggression, which focuses on children's emotional and physiological reactivity and regulation as pathways in the marital aggression-child development link. Findings from our research program, which highlight the importance of children's regulatory processes for understanding children's adjustment in contexts of intimate partner violence, are presented, and future directions in this line of inquiry are outlined. KeywordsMarital violence; Marital aggression; Child adjustment; Physiological regulation; Vagal tone; Emotional reactivityThe negative impact of marital aggression and violence on children's adjustment has been established; however, the processes that mediate these relations and variables that function as vulnerability or protective factors are poorly understood. Further, longitudinal research examining these associations is scarce. Marital psychological and physical aggression is prevalent in U.S. families, and understanding the processes by which marital violence affects children's development across multiple domains of functioning has far-reaching mental health implications. The present paper describes our research program, Child Regulation and Exposure to Marital Violence, and presents a conceptual model for understanding the mechanisms by which marital violence affects children's adjustment. We also present empirical evidence for our conceptual model. The main tenant of our research program is that examining children's emotional and physiological reactivity and regulation to marital violence is not only critical for advancing our understanding of the mechanisms involved in the marital NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript aggression-child adjustment link, but also offers a promising avenue for developing effective and efficient prevention and intervention efforts with children and families. Prevalence Rates of Children's Exposure to Marital ViolenceWhile it is difficult to offer exact numbers regarding children exposed to marital violence, a commonly cited statistic is that some form of marital violence occurs in 12% of American households, and approximately 10 million children witness this violence per year (Straus and Gelles 1990). Current research, however, suggests that these statistics underestimate the number of children exposed to marital violence. For example, using a random digit dialing procedure, Smith Slep and O'Leary (2005) assessed prevalence rates and patterns of aggression among married or cohabit...

Daily patterns of stress and conflict in couples: Associations with marital aggression and family-of-origin aggression.

“…Another important risk factor for stress spillover might be aggression; both marital aggression and FOA have been linked to behavioral, emotional, and physiological regulatory problems. In particular, aggressive people or those exposed to FOA may be sensitized to stress or may interpret events in a more negative fashion (Cummings, El-Sheikh, Kouros, & Buckhalt, 2009; Davies, Sturge-Apple, Cicchetti, Manning, & Zale, 2009; Ford, 2005; Roberton, Daffurn, & Bucks, 2011). Such individuals may have more difficulty compartmentalizing or turning off responses to stress and may experience prolonged or heightened stress reactions that set the stage for spillover.…”

Interparental aggression and infant patterns of adrenocortical and behavioral stress responses

“…Our findings provide descriptive evidence of links between aggression and patterns of behavioral and adrenocortical functioning, but the potential mechanisms linking aggression and children’s stress responses remain unexplored. Given the prevalence and consequences of interparental aggression for child adjustment (Cummings et al, 2009), there is a pressing need for such work. Understanding the pathways through which adaptive or maladaptive stress response patterns develop may provide insight into how to best target interventions to address the specific needs of children exposed to violence, making this an important area for future research.…”

“…A long history of research suggests that interparental aggression poses a significant threat to children’s development, yet the specific processes linking aggression in the home and child adjustment remain unclear (Cummings, El-Sheikh, Kouros, & Buckhalt, 2009). Central to understanding the processes that place some children at risk are maladaptive or adaptive stress responses; that is, the ways in which children manage internal or external demands that strain their resources (Eisenberg, Fabes, & Guthrie, 1997).…”

Understanding the Nature and Consequences of Children’s Exposure to Violence: Research Perspectives

“…Findings of the study not only have the potential to refine and advance existing conceptual models, but they also may inform intervention programs for children at risk for emotional, behavioral, and intellectual difficulties. This research project, preliminary findings, and future directions are described in Cummings et al (2009).…”