3-129 - Effects of Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence on Children’s Self-Regulation: Findings From Early Childhood to Adolescence

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Children witnessing intimate partner violence (IPV) are at risk for adverse outcomes due to heightened risk of maltreatment, traumatic distress connected with witnessing violence, and disturbances in parent-child relationships (Margolin, Gordis, Medina, & Oliver, 2003. However, more information is needed on the mechanisms linking IPV with long-term negative outcomes. This symposium addresses this need by investigating the predictors of mental health problems in children and adolescents exposed to IPV, and evaluating the influence of parenting quality on IPV’s longer-term effects. Tracing the effects of violent family dynamics at different developmental stages allows us to speculate on mechanisms of risk and resilience in children exposed to IPV.
Research findings from three studies of three different populations of mothers and children in three different developmental stages will be presented. Study 1 uses a statewide sample of young, primiparous mothers to assess the effects of early IPV, maternal depression, and mothers’ parenting attitudes on toddlers’ behavior problems. Study 2 reports on the effects of emotional availability and emotional reactivity on the severity of child behavior problems in IPV-exposed, 2 – 6 year old children referred to Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with their mothers. Study 3 presents findings from a 10-year longitudinal study that follows children through adolescence, investigating effects of childhood domestic violence exposure on adolescent girls’ judgment and self-control. The discussant, an expert in the dynamics of family violence, will discuss possible developmental themes and points of intervention to “interrupt” such pathways to improve the long-term consequences for children.

Sub Unit

• Developmental Psychopathology

Chair

• Anthony J Urquiza, UC Davis Children’s Hospital; CAARE Diagnostic & Treatment Center

Discussant

• Anthony J Urquiza, UC Davis Children’s Hospital; CAARE Diagnostic & Treatment Center

Individual Presentations

• Intimate Partner Violence During Infancy Predicts Toddler Self-Regulation: Moderating Influence of Maternal Childrearing Behavior - Presenting Author: Ann Easterbrooks, Tufts University; Rachel C. Katz, Tufts University; Chie Kotake, Tufts University; Nick Stelmach, Tufts University; Jana H Chaudhuri, Tufts University

• Emotional Reactivity in Parent-Child Interactions Link IPV with Behavior Problems - Presenting Author: Susan Goff Timmer, U.C. Davis Children'S Hospital; Deanna Boys, University of California, Davis; Anthony J Urquiza, UC Davis Children’s Hospital; CAARE Diagnostic & Treatment Center

• The longitudinal effects of intimate partner violence on children’s emotion regulation and adolescent problem behavior - Presenting Author: Laura Ann McCloskey, University of Michigan; Jonathon Beckmeyer, Indiana University, Bloomington; Melissa Weinstein, Indiana University