Children of Abused Women: I. Adjustment at Time of Shelter Residence

Abstract

In this study, the individual and familial adjustment of a sample of 40 battered women and their children was compared with that of a sample of 40 community families. As expected, abused women were dramatically more distressed on a variety of measures than were community women. Significant but more modest differences were found between the groups of children studied. Both the sons and daughters of battered women received scores more than one standard deviation above the mean of the normative sample on both the internalizing and externalizing subscales of the Child Behavior Checklist, but elevated externalizing scores were also found for a community sample of boys from similar socioeconomic backgrounds. No between-group differences were found in regard to the children's perceived competence or IQ. While estimates of the risk for psychological difficulties among the children of battered women are similar to those obtained by other investigators, notably different findings regarding sex differences were obtained. (Abstract Adapted from Source: Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1987. Copyright © 1987 by the National Council on Family Relations) Domestic Violence Effects Psychological Victimization Effects Witnessing Violence Effects Witnessing Spouse Abuse Spouse Abuse Effects Children of Battered Women Child Witness Early Adolescence Middle Childhood Late Childhood Domestic Violence Shelter Child Adjustment Juvenile Witness Juvenile Adjustment Emotional Adjustment Violence Against Women Partner Violence 04-01