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Naming the Unmentionable: How Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence Articulate Their Experiences

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Abstract

Witnessing intimate partner violence (IPV) is a frightening experience that affects children’s development and well-being. This study examines experiences of IPV from the perspective of children. Interviews with 14 children between 8 and 12 years of age were analyzed using a thematic method. Three main themes were identified: how children talked about abuse of their mother, described their own actions, and related to or handled memories of violence. Most children confirmed that their mother had been the victim of abuse, but had difficulties describing these experiences. Narratives were often incoherent and difficult to fully understand. In contrast, most of the children seemed to find it easier to describe their own actions during violence and conflicts. Not thinking about IPV was a strategy that aimed at reducing unwanted memories; it is also a strategy that may obstruct creating a narrative.

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Acknowledgements

The study was funded by Children’s Welfare Foundation and The Crime Victim Fund in Sweden. The authors are also grateful to the children for their participation in the study.

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Correspondence to Anna Georgsson.

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Georgsson, A., Almqvist, K. & Broberg, A.G. Naming the Unmentionable: How Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence Articulate Their Experiences. J Fam Viol 26, 117–129 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-010-9349-x

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