Children in Distress: Functioning of Youngsters of Abused Women and Implications for Child Maltreatment Prevention

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health problem impacting millions of women each year. Children of these women are exposed to the violence and are at high risk for significant behavioural problems. To protect children and promote healthy families, assessment of child functioning, by age and gender, is critical to identify “red flags” that trigger immediate child/family support services for abused women seeking assistance. The present study is the first to describe the behavioural dysfunction by age and gender of children of mothers experiencing IPV who reach out for assistance for the first time. This information is a part of a seven-year prospective research project evaluating the treatment efficacy of two models of care for abused women: safe shelter and justice services. Study findings indicated that boys of abused women, particularly younger boys, are more likely to exhibit clinically significant behaviour problems placing them at high risk for delinquency, hostility, and aggression. The child malfunctioning behaviour when viewed in the context of a family experiencing chronic stress (IPV) has the potential for child abuse. Implications for child health practice to minimise the risk for child maltreatment include awareness and education for child health professionals and advocates, implementing the mother–child unit of care when providing services to children, behavioural screen or assessment of the child when the mother screens positive for IPV, and the development/implementation of intergenerational programmes to address the mental and physical health needs of the abused mother and the behavioural function of the child.