Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Exposure to Maternal- and Paternal-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence, Emotion Regulation, and Child Outcomes

  • IPV AND CHILDREN’S ADJUSTMENT: THE ROLE OF EMOTION REGULATION AND NEUROFUNCTIONAL CAPACITIES
  • Published:
Journal of Family Violence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The current study examined the relationship of maternal- and paternal-perpetrated intimate partner violence (IPV) to children’s internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. Mother-child dyads (N = 53; child ages 8–11) reported maternal- and paternal-perpetrated IPV exposure and measures of child symptomatology. Results demonstrated that: (a) maternal- and paternal-perpetrated IPV have similar but not identical relations with child outcomes, (b) mothers’ and children’s reports of paternal-perpetrated IPV were positively related, (c) mother and child report of maternal- and paternal-perpetrated IPV related to child emotional and behavior problems, and (d) emotion dysregulation mediated the link between IPV exposure and child outcomes. Notably, findings differed by reporters. Results support emotion dysregulation as one mechanism through which IPV exposure may lead to child behavior problems, with implications for clinical intervention.

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.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. (2001). Manual for the ASEBA school-age forms & profiles. Burlington: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families.

    Google Scholar 

  • Achenbach, T. M., McConaughy, S. H., & Howell, C. T. (1987). Child/adolescent behavioral and emotional problems: implications of cross-informant correlations for situational specificity. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 213–232. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.101.2.213.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Archer, J. (2000). Sex differences in aggression between heterosexual partners: a meta-analytic review. Psychology Bulletin, 126, 651–680. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.126.5.651.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arias, I., & Corso, P. (2005). Average cost per person victimized by an intimate partner of the opposite gender: a comparison of men and women. Violence and Victims, 20, 379–391. doi:10.1891/vivi.2005.20.4.379.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1971). Psychological modeling. Chicago: Aldine-Atherton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173–1182.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bedi, G., & Goddard, C. (2007). Intimate partner violence: what are the impacts on children? Australian Psychologist, 42, 66–77. doi:10.1080/00050060600726296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Black, D. S., Sussman, S., & Unger, J. B. (2010). A further look at the intergenerational transmission of violence: witnessing interparental violence in emerging adulthood. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25, 1022–1042. doi:10.1177/0886260509340539.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bourassa, C. (2007). Co-occurrence of interparental violence and child physical abuse and its effect on the adolescents’ behavior. Journal of Family Violence, 22, 691–701. doi:10.1007/s10896-007-9117-8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, S. (2000). Affect regulation and the development of psychopathology. New York: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bussey, K., & Bandura, A. (1984). Influence of gender constancy and social power on sex-linked modeling. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 1292–1302. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.47.6.1292.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Caetano, R., Ramisetty-Mikler, S., & Field, C. A. (2005). Unidirectional and bidirectional intimate partner violence among White, Black, and Hispanic couples in the United States. Violence and Victims, 20, 393–406. doi:10.1891/vivi.2005.20.4.393.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Capaldi, D. M., Shortt, J. W., & Crosby, L. (2003). Physical and psychological aggression in at risk young couples: stability and change in young adulthood. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 49, 1–27. doi:10.1353/mpq.2003.0001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capaldi, D. M., Kim, H. K., & Shortt, J. W. (2007). Observed initiation and reciprocity of physical aggression in young, at-risk couples. Journal of Family Violence, 22, 101–111. doi:10.1007/s10896-007-9067-1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, B. E. (2000). Children exposed to intimate partner violence: research findings and implications for intervention. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 1, 321–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, J. G., Pepler, D. J., & Moore, T. E. (1999). Behavior problems in children exposed to wife abuse: gender differences. Journal of Family Violence, 14, 133–156. doi:10.1023/A:1022024702299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, E. M., Schermerhorn, A. C., Davies, P. T., Goeke-Morey, M. C., & Cummings, J. S. (2006). Interparental discord and child adjustment: prospective investigations of emotional security as a explanatory mechanism. Child Development, 77, 132–152. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00861.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, E. M., El-Sheikh, M., Kuoros, C. D., & Buckhalt, J. A. (2009). Children and violence: the role of children’s regulation in the marital aggression-child adjustment link. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 12, 3–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davies, P. T., & Cummings, E. M. (1998). Exploring children’s emotional security as a mediator of the link between marital relations and child adjustment. Child Development, 69, 124–139. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.1998.tb06138.x.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Edleson, J. L. (1999). Children’s witnessing of adult domestic violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 14, 839–870. doi:10.1177/088626099014008004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edleson, J. L., Ellerton, A. L., Seagren, E. A., Kirchberg, S. L., Schmidt, S. O., & Ambrose, A. T. (2007). Assessing child exposure to adult domestic violence. Children and Youth Services Review, 29, 961–971.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edleson, J. L., Shin, N., & Johnson Armendariz, K. K. (2008). Measuring children’s exposure to domestic violence: the development and testing of the Child Exposure to Domestic Violence (CEDV) scale. Children and Youth Services Review, 30, 502–521. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2007.11.006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, S. E., Davies, C., & DiLillo, D. (2008). Exposure to domestic violence: a meta-analysis of child and adolescent outcomes. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 13, 131–140. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2008.02.005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fantuzzo, J. W., DePaola, L. M., Lambert, L., Martino, T., Anderson, G., & Sutton, S. (1991). Effects of interparental violence on the psychological adjustment and competencies of young children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 258–265. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.59.2.258.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fivush, R., Brotman, M. A., Buckner, J. P., & Goodman, S. H. (2000). Sex differences in parent–child emotion narratives. Sex Roles, 42, 233–253. doi:10.1023/A:100709120768.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grusec, J. E. (2002). Parental socialization and children’s acquisition of values. In M. H. Bornstein (Ed.), Handbook of parenting: Practical issues in parenting (Vol. 5, pp. 35–58). Mahwah: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grych, J. H., & Fincham, F. D. (1990). Marital conflict and children’s adjustment: a cognitive-contextual framework. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 267–290. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.108.2.267.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Holden, G. W. (1998). Introduction: The development of research into another consequence of family violence. In G. W. Holden, R. Geffner, & E. N. Jouriles (Eds.), Children exposed to marital violence: Theory, research, and applied issues (pp. 1–18). Washington: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  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 

  • Jaffe, P. G., Hurley, D. J., & Wolfe, D. (1990). Children’s observations of violence: I. Critical issues in child development and intervention planning. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 35, 466–470.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jarvis, K. L., Gordon, E. E., & Novaco, R. W. (2005). Psychological distress of children and mothers in domestic violence emergency shelters. Journal of Family Violence, 20, 389–402. doi:10.1007/s10896-005-7800-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katz, L. F., Hessler, D. M., & Annest, A. (2007). Domestic violence, emotional competence, and child adjustment. Social Development, 16, 513–538. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9507.2007.00401.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kitzmann, K. M., Gaylord, N. K., Holt, A. R., & Kenny, E. D. (2003). Child witnesses to domestic violence: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 339–352. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.71.2.339.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kovacs, M. (2003). CDI children’s depression inventory. technical manual update. North Tonawanda: Multi-Health Systems, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacKinnon, D. P., Fairchild, A. J., & Fritz, M. S. (2007). Mediation analysis. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 593–614.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McGee, R. A., Wolfe, D. A., & Wilson, S. K. (1997). Multiple maltreatment experiences and adolescent behavior problems: adolescents’ perspectives. Development and Psychopathology, 9, 131–149. doi:10.1017/S0954579497001107.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien, M., John, R. S., Margolin, G., & Erel, O. (1994). Reliability and diagnostic efficacy of parents’ reports regarding children’s exposure to marital aggression. Violence and Victims, 9, 45–62.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2004). SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models. Behavior Research Methods, 36, 717–731. doi:10.3758/BF03206553.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40, 879–891. doi:10.3758/BRM.40.3.879.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reiter, S. L., & El-Sheikh, M. (1999). Does resolution of interadult conflict ameliorate children’s anger and distress across covert, verbal, and physical disputes? Journal of Emotional Abuse, 1, 1–21. doi:10.1300/J135v01n03_01.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saltzman, L. E., Fanslow, J. L., McMahon, P. M., & Shelley, G. A. (2002). Intimate partner violence surveillance: Uniform definitions and recommended data elements, Version 1.0. Atlanta: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheeringa, M. S., & Zeanah, C. H. (1995). Symptom expression and trauma variables in children under 48 months of age. Infant Mental Health Journal, 16, 259–270. doi:10.1002/1097-0355(199524)16:4<259::AID-IMHJ2280160403>3.0.CO;2-T.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shields, A., & Cicchetti, D. (1997). Emotion regulation among school-age children: the development and validation of a new criterion Q-sort scale. Developmental Psychology, 33, 906–916. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.33.6.906.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, K. J., Baradaran, L. P., Abbott, C. B., Lamb, M. E., & Guterman, E. (2006). Type of violence, age, and gender differences in the effects of family violence on children’s behavior problems: a mega analysis. Developmental Review, 26, 89–112. doi:10.1016/j.dr.2005.12.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Straus, M. A., & Douglas, E. M. (2004). A short form of the revised conflict tactics scales, and typologies for severity and mutuality. Violence and Victims, 19, 507–520. doi:10.1891/vivi.19.5.507.63686.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, R. A. (1994). Emotion regulation: a theme in search of definition. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 59, 25–52. doi:10.2307/1166137.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tjaden, P., & Thoennes, N. (2000). Extent, nature, and consequences of intimate partner violence: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey. Washington: National Institute of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeman, J., Cassano, M., Perry-Parrish, C., & Stegall, S. (2006). Emotion regulation in children and adolescents. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 27, 155–168. doi:10.1097/00004703-200604000-00014.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by the Verizon/HopeLine Student Fellowship for Domestic Violence Research awarded to the first author.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Hilary G. Harding, Diana Morelen, Kristel Thomassin, Laura Bradbury & Anne Shaffer

Authors
  1. Hilary G. Harding
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Diana Morelen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kristel Thomassin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Laura Bradbury
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Anne Shaffer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hilary G. Harding.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Harding, H.G., Morelen, D., Thomassin, K. et al. Exposure to Maternal- and Paternal-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence, Emotion Regulation, and Child Outcomes. J Fam Viol 28, 63–72 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-012-9487-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-012-9487-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation