Effects of domestic violence on children's behavior problems and depression.

Abstract

The Children's Depression Inventory, Child Behavior Checklist, and Youth Self-Report were completed by mothers, fathers, and their 8- to 12-year-old children to assess the effects of various types of domestic violence on children's behavior problems and depression. One hundred and ten Israeli children from lower-class families were identified through social service records. Thirty-three of the children had been physically abused by their parents within the last 6 months, 16 had witnessed spouse abuse, 30 had been both victims and witnesses of domestic violence, and 31 had experienced no known domestic violence. Overall, domestic violence had effects on child development that varied in magnitude and nature depending on the type of domestic violence and who reported the information about the child's adjustment. During the past 30 years, domestic violence and its effects on children's development have received considerable attention in the scientific and popular media (Cicchetti & Carlson, 1989). Although there is some evidence that children who are victims and/or witnesses of domestic violence have more social and emotional problems than their nonabused counterparts, findings have varied across studies. Because of the difficulties in recruiting samples, investigators have usually studied children from violent families that are characterized by multiple stressors (e.g., histories of drug and alcohol abuse, single parenting, shelter residence, and poverty) and multiple forms of maltreatment (i.e., neglect, sexual abuse, spouse abuse, and child abuse; Aber & Cicchetti, 1984). Unfortunately, it has been difficult to systematically measure these stresses and to evaluate how they exacerbate, moderate, or mask the effects of maltreatment on