Nuances in the effect of types of intimate partner violence on aspects of child development: Evidence from the Philippines

Abstract

BackgroundMost studies on the effect of intimate partner violence (IPV) do not distinguish between the effects of the different types of IPVs on the various aspects of child development. ObjectiveThis study explores the effect of multiple dimensions of IPV, specifically physical violence, controlling behavior, and emotional abuse, on children's physical and cognitive development. Participants and settingThe study uses data from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutritional Survey (CLHNS). The study uses a final sample of n = 1506 index children in Cebu, Philippines. MethodsWe use information pertaining to: (1) presence of IPV in the household, (2) demographic characteristics, (3) mother's status and autonomy, (4) anthropometric data, and (5) children's scores on mathematics, English, language, and nonverbal reasoning tests. We employ a Propensity Score Matching (PSM) technique to analyze the effect of IPV on child development outcomes, conditional on observed characteristics. ResultsMaternal exposure to physical violence significantly reduces child’s body mass index (BMI) (ATE: −0.344, p ≤ 0.05). On the other hand, mother's vulnerability to controlling behavior decreases children's test scores in mathematics (ATE: −3.346, p ≤ 0.01), English (ATE: −2.289, p ≤ 0.01), and nonverbal reasoning (ATE: −2.103, p ≤ 0.01). We do not find a significant link between emotional abuse and height, body mass index, and test scores. ConclusionsOur study shows that the deleterious effect of IPV on child development is IPV-specific. Exposure to physical violence tends to affect children's physical development while cognitive abilities are negatively associated with exposure to controlling behavior. These results suggest different types of ex-post interventions on both children and mothers to ensure their physical and mental well-being.