The differential effects of family violence on adolescent adjustment

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of different types of domestic violence (i.e., being a victim of parent-child violence and witnessing interparental violence) on adolescent adjustment. The sample included a large, racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse group of high school students. Findings revealed that this sample experienced and witnessed high levels of family violence. Two hierarchical regression analyses were conducted with externalizing behavior problem and internalizing behavior problem scores as the outcome variables. Variables were entered in three blocks with numerous sociodemographic variables entered first as covariates, the amounts of parent-child violence and witnessing interparental violence entered in the second block, and the interaction of gender and violence variables and interaction of the two violence variables in the third. Results revealed the amounts of parent-child violence and interparental violence witnessed were significant predictors of both externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. Significant effects were also found for the interaction between parent-child violence and interparental violence. The implications of the findings are discussed.