Intersection of Child Abuse and Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence

Abstract

This review addresses research on the overlap in physical child abuse and domestic violence, the prediction of child outcomes, and resilience in children exposed to family violence. The authors explore current findings on the intersection of physical child abuse and domestic violence within the context of other risk factors, including community violence and related family and environmental stressors. Evidence from the studies reviewed suggests considerable overlap, compounding effects, and possible gender differences in outcomes of violence exposure. The data indicate a need to apply a broad conceptualization of risk to the study of family violence and its effects on children. Further testing of competing theoretical models will advance understanding of the pathways through which exposure leads to later problems in youth, as well as protective factors and processes through which resilience unfolds.

Auto-regulação da aprendizagem em crianças e adolescentes filhos de vítimas de violência doméstica contra mulheres

“…As diversas tipologias de maus-tratos (e.g., Higgins, 2004;McGee & Wolfe, 1991;Wolfe & McGee, 1994) consideram como vítimas tanto os indivíduos a que o abuso é dirigido (por exemplo, a esposa que sofre algum destes tipos de abuso), como crianças e adolescentes que testemunham a situações de abuso (por exemplo, filhos assistirem a violência entre os progenitores; Edwards, Holden, Felitti, & Anda, 2003;Higgins, 2004;Higgins & McCabe, 2000). Assistir a violência de um progenitor ao outro e ser alvo de violência dirigida a si, são fenómenos que aparecem frequentemente associados (Coohey, 2004; T. I. Herrenkohl, Sousa, Tajima, R. C. Herrenkohl, & Moylan, 2008;Kitzmann, Gaylord, Holt, & Kenny, 2003). Assim, grande parte dos estudos com filhos de vítimas de violência doméstica contra mulheres considera a co-ocorrência dos dois tipos de abuso (ser vítima directa de violência e testemunhar violência entre os progenitores, Lepisto, Luukkaala, & Paavilainen, 2011), com o objectivo de garantir maior validade ecológica.…”

“…Como é descrito pelo modelo do perpetrador sequencial, os comportamentos das mulheres vítimas de violência doméstica para com os filhos (nomeadamente as práticas parentais) são significativamente afectados pelo abuso (Coohey, 2004). É frequente que os abusos perpetrados pelo abusador contra a vítima (cônjuge) co-existam em padrões semelhantes de abuso nos filhos (e.g., Coohey, 2004;T. I. Herrenkohl et al, 2008).…”

La Exposición a Violencia De Género Y Su Repercusión en La Adaptación Escolar De Los Menores

“…La situación es aún más grave si tenemos en cuenta que, tal y como señalan numerosas investigaciones, existe una estrecha relación entre la violencia a la pareja y el maltrato infantil en sus diferentes manifestaciones físicas, psicológicas o sexuales, encontrándose esta asociación en entre el 30 y el 60% de los casos (Chang, Theodore, Martin y Runyan, 2008;Edleson, 1999;Goddard y Bedi, 2010;Herrenkohl, Sousa, Tajima, Herrenkohl y Moylan, 2008).…”

Vulnerability and protective factors for child abuse and maltreatment.

“…Although witnessing violence between parents may be considered maltreatment in and of itself (or at least potentially traumatic), literature reviews point to high co-occurrence rates (30%-60%) of documented child maltreatment and IPV (Edleson, 1999). Several factors are associated with the co-occurrence of child abuse and IPV, including lower socioeconomic status, lower parental education levels, unemployment or lower occupational status, substance use in the family, mental illness in caregivers, parenting stress, greater number of children or larger household size, and neighborhood violence (Herrenkohl et al, 2008). One hypothesized mechanism for the link between IPV and child abuse has focused on the perpetrator, if the aggression originates from the same individual.…”

“…For example, rigorous research methods are needed to examine whether the vulnerability and protective factors identified in documented abuse reflect actual underlying differences (e.g., between groups) versus biases in the system. Additionally, prevention of maltreatment requires programs to systematically and comprehensively address multiple risk and protective factors, including the family and community (Herrenkohl et at., 2008). While we recommend that future research target multiple levels of influence on maltreatment, so too should policymakers address the implications of multiple system interactions.…”