The effectiveness of intervention for adolescents exposed to domestic violence

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a 10-week group intervention for adolescents who were exposed to domestic violence in their home, and compare behavioral and emotional symptoms between adolescents with direct or indirect exposure to domestic violence. Participants of the group intervention (N=32) reported an increase in knowledge of domestic violence based on quiz scores of pre- and post-tests. Compared to those without direct exposure to domestic violence, the participants that were directly exposed to domestic violence presented greater symptoms in the subscales of the Child Behavioral Checklist and the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale. Such findings are discussed along with previous literature. The study also discusses limitations related to internal and external validity threats and suggestions for future replication of the group intervention toward adolescents who were exposed to domestic violence and the related program evaluation.