Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Violence Exposure in Young Children: Child-Oriented Routines as a Protective Factor for School Readiness

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Family Violence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although domestic and community violence exposure has been associated with poor child functioning, protective factors, such as daily routines, may shield children from these negative outcomes. This study investigated whether daily, child-oriented routines moderated the association between exposure to violence and school readiness in preschool-aged children. Eighty-three preschool children completed a test of school readiness, and a primary caregiver completed measures of violence exposure and adherence to daily routines. Results indicated that discipline and daily living routines moderated the association between domestic violence exposure and school readiness. Findings suggest that routines in the home may serve a protective role for young children exposed to violence, but the protective impact was lessened when domestic violence exposure was high.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aiken L. S., & West S. G. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Newbury Park: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alvord M., & Grados J. (2005). Enhancing resilience in children: a proactive approach. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 36, 238–245. doi:10.1037/0735-7028.36.3.238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer N. S., Herrenkohl T. I., Lozano P., Rivara F. P., Hill K. G., & Hawkins J. D. (2006). Childhood bullying involvement and exposure to intimate partner violence. Pediatrics, 118, 35–42. doi:10.1542/peds.2005-2509.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bracken B. A. (1998). Bracken basic concept scale. San Antonio: Psychological Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brody G. H., & Flor D. L. (1997). Maternal psychological functioning, family processes, and child adjustment in rural, single-parent, African American families. Developmental Psychology, 33, 1000–1011. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.33.6.1000.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brooks-Gunn, J., Duncan, G. J., & Britto, P. (1999). Are socioeconomic gradients for children similar to those for adults?: Achievement and health of children in the United States. In D. P. Keating, C. Hertzman (Eds.), Developmental health and the wealth of nations: Social, biological, and educational dynamics (pp. 94–124). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cicchetti, D., & Lynch, M. (1993). Toward an ecological/transactional model of community violence and child maltreatment: consequences for children’s development. Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, 58, 96–116. http://guilfordjournals.com/loi/psyc.

  • Cole S. E., O’Brien J. G., Gada M. G., Ristuccia J., Wallace D. L., & Gregory M. (2005). Helping traumatized children learn: A report and policy agenda. Boston: Massachusetts Advocates for Children.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delaney-Black V., Covington C., Ondersma S. J., Nordstrom-Klee B., Templin T., Ager J., Janisse J., & Sokol R. J. (2002). Violence exposure, trauma, and IQ and/or reading deficits among urban children. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 156, 280–285. doi:10.1001/archpedi.156.3.280.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Denham S. A., Blair K. A., DeMulder E. E., Levitas J. J., Sawyer K. K., Auerbach-Major S. S., & Queenan P. P. (2003). Preschool emotional competence: pathway to social competence? Child Development, 74, 238–256. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00533.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dibble U., & Straus M. A. (1980). Some social structure determinants of inconsistency between attitudes and behavior: the case of family violence. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 42, 71–80. doi:10.2307/351935.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, N., Spinrad, T. L., Fabes, R. A., Reiser, M., Cumberland, A., Shepard, S. A., & ... Murphy, B. (2004). The relations of effortful control and impulsivity to children’s resiliency and adjustment. Child Development, 75, 25–46. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00652.x.

  • Fantuzzo J. W., & Mohr W. K. (1999). Prevalence and effects of child exposure to domestic violence. Domestic Violence and Children, 9, 21–32. doi:10.2307/1602779.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fantuzzo, J., Bulotsky-Shearer, R., McDermott, P. A., McWayne, C., Frye, D., & Perlman, S. (2007). Investigation of dimensions of social-emotional classroom behavior and school readiness for low-income urban preschool children. School Psychology Review, 36, 44–62. http://www.nasponline.org/publications/spr/index-list.aspx.

  • Fiese B. H. (1992). Dimensions of family rituals across two generations: relation to adolescent identity. Family Process, 31, 151–162. doi:10.1111/j.1545-5300.1992.00151.x.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fiese B. H., Tomcho T. J., Douglas M., Josephs K., Poltrock S., & Baker T. (2002). A review of 50 years of research on naturally occurring family routines and rituals: cause for celebration? Journal of Family Psychology, 16, 381–390. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.16.4.381.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Finkelhor D., Ormrod R., & Turner H. (2007). Re-victimization patterns in a national longitudinal sample of children and youth. Child Abuse and Neglect, 31, 479–502. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2006.03.012.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Finkelhor D., Turner H., Ormrod R., & Hamby S. L. (2009). Violence, abuse, and crime exposure in a national sample of children and youth. Pediatrics, 124, 1411–1423. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-0467.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Foster H., & Brooks-Gunn J. (2009). Toward a stress process model of children’s exposure to physical family and community violence. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 12, 71–94. doi:10.1007/s10567-009-0049-0.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fox N. A., & Leavitt L. A. (1996). Violence exposure scale for children-revised. Philadephia: University of Pennsylvania.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuligni A., Howes C., Huang Y., Hong S., & Lara-Cinisomo S. (2012). Activity settings and daily routines in preschool classrooms: diverse experiences in early learning settings for low-income children. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 27, 198–209. doi:10.1016/j.ecresq.2011.10.001.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holmbeck G. N. (2002). Post-hoc probing of significant moderational and meditational effects in studies of pediatric populations. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 27, 87–96. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/27.1.87.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Howell K. H. (2011). Resilience and psychopathology in children exposed to family violence. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 16, 562–569. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2011.09.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howell K. H., Graham-Bermann S. A., Czyz E., & Lilly M. (2010). Assessing resilience in preschool children exposed to intimate partner violence. Violence and Victims, 25, 150–164. doi:10.1891/0886-6708.25.2.150.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson R. M., Kotch J. B., Catellier D. J., Winsor J. R., Dufort V., Hunter W., & Amaya-Jackson L. (2002). Adverse behavioral and emotional outcomes from child abuse and witnessed violence. Child Maltreatment, 7, 179–186. doi:10.1177/1077559502007003001.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson V. K., & Lieberman A. F. (2007). Variations in behavior problems of preschoolers exposed to domestic violence: the role of mothers’ attunement to children’s emotional experiences. Journal of Family Violence, 22, 297–308. doi:10.1007/s10896-007-9083-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jouriles E. N., Brown A. S., McDonald R., Rosenfield D., Leahy M. M., & Silver C. (2008). Intimate partner violence and preschoolers’ explicit memory functioning. Journal of Family Psychology, 22, 420–428. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.22.3.420.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jouriles E. N., Norwood W. D., McDonald R., Vincent J. P., & Mahoney A. (1996). Physical violence and other forms of marital aggression: links with children’s behavior problems. Journal of Family Psychology, 10, 223–234. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.10.2.223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalil A., Tolman R., Rosen D., & Gruber G. (2003). Domestic violence and children’s behavior in low-income families. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 3, 75–101. doi:10.1300/J135v03n01_04.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman J. S., Ortega S., Schewe P. A., & Kracke K. (2011). Characteristics of young children exposed to violence: the safe start demonstration project. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26, 2042–2072. doi:10.1177/0886260510372942.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Keltner B. (1990). Family characteristics of preschool social competence among black children in a Head Start program. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 21, 95–108. doi:10.1007/bf00706118.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kolbo, J. R. (1996). Risk and resilience among children exposed to family violence. Violence & Victims, 11, 113–128. http://www.springerpub.com/product/08866708#.UEVh3XmD_vk.

  • Lanza H., & Drabick D. G. (2011). Family routine moderates the relation between child impulsivity and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 39, 83–94. doi:10.1007/s10802-010-9447-5.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Levendosky A. A., Huth-Bocks A. C., Shapiro D. L., & Semel M. A. (2003). The impact of domestic violence on the maternal-child relationship and preschool-age children’s functioning. Journal of Family Psychology, 17, 275–287. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.17.3.275.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis-O’Connor, A., Sharps, P. W., Humphreys, J., Gary, F. A., & Campbell, J. (2006). Children exposed to intimate partner violence. In M. M. Feerick & G. B. Silverman (Eds.), Children exposed to violence. (pp. 3 – 28). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman A. F., van Horn P., & Ozer E. J. (2005). Preschooler witnesses of marital violence: predictors and mediators of child behavior problems. Development and Psychopathology, 17, 385–396. doi:10.1017/s0954579405050182.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Linares, L. O., & Morin, N. A. (2006). The impact of community violence on preschoolers’ development. In L. Balter & C. S. Tamis-LeMonda (Eds.), Child psychology: A handbook of contemporary issues. (pp. 545 – 563). New York: Psychology Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loukas A., & Prelow H. M. (2004). Externalizing and internalizing problems in low-income Latino early adolescents: risk, resource, and protective factors. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 24, 250–273. doi:10.1177/0272431604265675.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luthar S. S., Cicchetti D., & Becker B. (2000). The construct of resilience: a critical evaluation and guidelines for future work. Child Development, 71, 543–562. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00164.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Margolin G., & Gordis E. B. (2004). Children’s exposure to violence in the family and community. American Psychological Society, 13, 152–155. doi:10.1111/j.0963-7214.2004.00296.x.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin S. E., & Clements M. L. (2002). Young children’s responding to interparental conflict: associations with marital aggression and child adjustment. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 11, 231–244. doi:10.1023/a:1015133827129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCloskey L., & Walker M. (2000). Posttraumatic stress in children exposed to family violence and single-event trauma. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 39, 108–115. doi:10.1097/00004583-200001000-00023.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McLoyd V. C., Toyokawa T., & Kaplan R. (2008). Work demands, work-family conflict, and child adjustment in African American families: the mediating role of family routines. Journal of Family Issues, 29, 1247–1267. doi:10.1177/0192513x08320189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNamara P., & Humphry R. (2008). Developing everyday routines. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 28, 141–154. doi:10.1080/01942630802031826.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mendez J. L., McDermott P., & Fantuzzo J. (2002). Identifying and promoting social competence with African American preschool children: developmental and contextual considerations. Psychology in the Schools, 39, 111–123. doi:10.1002/pits.10039.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller L. E., Grabell A., Thomas A., Bermann E., & Graham-Bermann S. A. (2012). The associations between community violence, television violence, intimate partner violence, parent–child aggression, and aggression in sibling relationships of a sample of preschoolers. Psychology of Violence, 2, 165–178. doi:10.1037/a0027254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell S. J., Lewin A., & Joseph J. G. (2009). Exploring gender differences in the association between young African American mothers’ reports of preschoolers’ violence exposure and problem behavior. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 38, 576–581. doi:10.1080/15374410902976346.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (2002). Children exposed to violence: Current status, gaps, and research priorities. NICHD Workshop on Children Exposed to Violence. 1-64.

  • O’Keefe M. (1994). Adjustment of children from maritally violent homes. Families in Society, 75, 403–415.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oravecz L. M., Koblinsky S. A., & Randolph S. M. (2008). Community violence, interpartner conflict, parenting, and social support as predictors of the social competence of African American preschool children. Journal of Black Psychology, 34, 192–216. doi:10.1177/0095798408314142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osofsky J. D. (2003). Prevalence of children’s exposure to domestic violence and child maltreatment: implications for prevention and intervention. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 6, 161–170. doi:10.1023/A:1024958332093.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Overstreet S., & Braun S. (1999). A preliminary examination of the relationship between exposure to community violence and academic functioning. School Psychology Quarterly, 14, 380–396. doi:10.1037/h0089015.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ozer E. J., & Weinstein R. S. (2004). Urban adolescents’ exposure to community violence: the role of support, school safety, and social constraints in a school-based sample of boys and girls. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 33, 463–476. doi:10.1207/s15374424jccp3303_4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Peek-Asa C., Maxwell L., Stromquist A., Whitten P., Limbos M. A., & Merchant J. (2007). Does parental physical violence reduce children’s standard test score performance? Annuals of Epidemiology, 17, 847–853. doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2007.06.004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richters J. E., & Martinez P. (1990). Things I have seen and heard: An interview for young children about exposure to violence. Rockville: Child and Adolescent Disorders Research Branch, National Institute of Mental Health.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rossman B. B. R., & Ho J. (2000). Posttraumatic response and children exposed to parental violence. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma, 3, 85–106. doi:10.1300/J146v03n01_07.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz D., & Gorman A. H. (2003). Community violence exposure and children’s academic functioning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95, 163–173. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.95.1.163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shahinfar, A., Fox, N. A., & Leavitt, L. A. (2000). Preschool children’s exposure to violence: Relation of behavior problems to parent and child reports. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 70, 115 – 125. doi: 10.1037/h0087690

  • Stover C., & Berkowitz S. (2005). Assessing violence exposure and trauma symptoms in young children: a critical review of measures. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 18, 707–717. doi:10.1002/jts.20079.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Straus M. A. (2007). Conflict tactics scales. Encyclopedia of domestic violence. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Straus M. A., Hamby S. L., Boney-McCoy S., & Sugarman D. B. (1996). The revised conflict tactics scales (CTS2): development and preliminary psychometric data. Journal of Family Issues, 17, 283–316. doi:10.1177/019251396017003001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sytsma S. E., Kelley M. L., & Wymer J. H. (2001). Development and initial validation of the child routines inventory. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 23, 241–251. doi:10.1023/a:1012727419873.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick B. G., & Fidell L. S. (2001). Using multivariate statistics. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor L., Zuckerman B., Harik V., & Groves B. (1994). Witnessing violence by young children and their mothers. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 15, 120–123. doi:10.1097/00004703-199404000-00010.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor R. D., & Lopez E. I. (2005). Family management practice, school achievement, and problem behavior in African American adolescents: mediating processes. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 26, 39–49. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2004.10.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson T., & Massat C. R. (2005). Experiences of violence, posttraumatic stress, academic achievement and behavior problems of urban African-American children. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 22, 367–393. doi:10.1007/s10560-005-0018-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner H. A., Finkelhor D., & Ormrod R. (2010). Poly-victimization in a national sample of children and youth. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 38, 323–330. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2009.11.012.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) (2008). 2008 HHS poverty guidelines. Federal Register, 73, 3971–3972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker C. (2007). School psychologists and violence prevention. NASP Communiqué, 35(5) Retrieved from http://www.nasponline.org/publications/cq/mocq355commmatters.aspx.

  • Wildenger L. K., McIntyre L., Fiese B. H., & Eckert T. L. (2008). Children’s daily routines during kindergarten transition. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36, 69–74. doi:10.1007/s10643-008-0255-2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams P. (2001). Preschool routines, peer learning and participation. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 45, 317–339. doi:10.1080/00313830120096743.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wittig, M. M., Jordan, S. S., Kelley, M. L., & Nguyen, K. (2007). Development and validation of the Child Routines Questionnaire: Preschool. A poster presented at the 41st annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Philadelphia, PA.

  • Ybarra G. J., Wilkens S. L., & Lieberman A. F. (2007). The influence of domestic violence on preschooler behavior and functioning. Journal of Family Violence, 22, 33–42. doi:10.1007/s10896-006-9054-y.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshihama M., Clum K., Crampton A., & Gillespie B. (2002). Measuring the lifetime experience of domestic violence: application of the life history calendar method. Violence and Victims, 17, 297–317. doi:10.1891/vivi.17.3.297.33663.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang S., & Eamon M. (2011). Parenting practices as mediators of the effect of mothers’ community violence exposure on young children’s aggressive behavior. Families in Society, 92, 336–343. doi:10.1606/1044-3894.4130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Kimberly B. David

  2. Department of Psychology, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA, USA

    Monique M. LeBlanc

  3. School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Shannon Self-Brown

  4. Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Kimberly B. David

Authors
  1. Kimberly B. David
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Monique M. LeBlanc
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Shannon Self-Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kimberly B. David.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

David, K.B., LeBlanc, M.M. & Self-Brown, S. Violence Exposure in Young Children: Child-Oriented Routines as a Protective Factor for School Readiness. J Fam Viol 30, 303–314 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-015-9676-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-015-9676-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation