OBJECTIVES: To determine the association between children's exposure to their mother's abuse by an intimate partner with children's well-being as measured by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). METHODS: The study population was comprised of 167 two to 17 year old children of Seattle women with police- and/or court-reported intimate partner abuse. The CBCL normative population served as the comparison group. Risk of adverse outcomes among the exposed children was calculated relative to the normative population. Separate estimates were also calculated for children who had both exposure to the abuse of their mother and experienced child abuse. Multivariate logistic regression served as the primary method of analysis. RESULTS: Children exposed to their mother's abuse were more likely to have borderline to clinical level scores on externalizing (i.e. aggressive, delinquent) behavior (OR=1.9, 95% CI: 1.3, 2.8) and total behavioral problems (OR=1.6, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.4) compared to children from the CBCL normative population after adjusting for age and sex. Children who were both abused and exposed to their mother's abuse were more likely to experience borderline to clinical level scores on internalizing (i.e. anxious, depressed) behaviors (OR=3.9, 95% CI: 1.7, 8.7), externalizing behaviors (OR=5.4, 95% CI: 2.4, 12.1), and total behavioral problems (OR=2.7, 95% CI: 1.2, 6.3) compared to the CBCL normative population after adjusting for age and sex. CONCLUSIONS: Parental intimate partner violence has a significant association with children's behavioral problems.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to discuss the risk of adverse behavioral adjustment associated with children's exposure to their mother's abuse by an intimate partner
Keywords: Domestic Violence, Child/Adolescent Mental Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.