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The Relationship Between Male-Perpetrated Interparental Aggression, Paternal Characteristics, and Child Psychosocial Functioning

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Abstract

It is well established that children in homes where interparental violence is present are at increased risk for psychosocial (i.e., internalizing, externalizing, and attention) difficulties. However, previous studies have provided a limited view on the variety of factors that commonly co-occur in these environments (e.g., other characteristics of the parents and family) and how they may collectively impact children. Knowing this information could have implications for parental interventions aimed at preventing the continuation or initiation of psychosocial problems in children. Thus, the present study simultaneously examined the association between father-perpetrated interparental aggression, father characteristics, and child psychosocial functioning in a sample of 145 men arrested for domestic violence. Results showed that of all the variables examined, paternal antisocial personality traits and interpersonal hostility were uniquely associated with overall child psychosocial impairment, externalizing problems, and attention problems. Implications for intervention programs are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported, in part, by grant K24AA019707 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) awarded to the last author.

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The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIAAA or the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, 204 Austin Peay Building, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

    Jeniimarie Febres, Ryan C. Shorey, Heather C. Zucosky, Hope Brasfield, Michael Vitulano & Gregory L. Stuart

  2. Butler Hospital, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    JoAnna Elmquist, Andrew Ninnemann & Lindsay Labrecque

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  1. Jeniimarie Febres
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  2. Ryan C. Shorey
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  3. Heather C. Zucosky
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  4. Hope Brasfield
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  9. Gregory L. Stuart
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Correspondence to Jeniimarie Febres.

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Febres, J., Shorey, R.C., Zucosky, H.C. et al. The Relationship Between Male-Perpetrated Interparental Aggression, Paternal Characteristics, and Child Psychosocial Functioning. J Child Fam Stud 23, 907–916 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-013-9748-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-013-9748-8

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