Experiences Of Violence In Childhood Research Articles

Associations between childhood violence and mental health in refugee settings in Uganda

BackgroundChildhood violence and mental health remain concerning public health issues globally yet there is limited evidence on the associations between experiences of such violence and mental health in refugee settings. ObjectiveTo assess the association between experiences of childhood violence (sexual, physical, and emotional violence) and mental health (severe mental distress, self-harm, suicidal ideation and/or attempted suicide) in refugee settings in Uganda. Data and MethodsData are from the 2022 Uganda Humanitarian Violence against Children and Youth Survey (HVACS) conducted among 1,338 females and 927 males aged 13-24 years between March and April 2022. Cross-tabulation with chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to assess the association between experiencing childhood violence and mental health. ResultsThe results show a high prevalence of experiencing childhood violence (females 40.8% vs males 55.2%) and mental distress (45% for both males and females). Females who experienced childhood sexual violence had significantly higher odds of reporting severe mental distress (aOR=1.989; CI=1.216-3.255), suicidal ideation and/or attempted suicide (aOR=4.119; CI=2.157-7.864) and self-harm (aOR=3.734; CI=1.619-8.609) compared to those who did not experience such violence. Experiencing childhood physical or emotional violence was also significantly associated with increased odds of reporting suicidal ideation and/or attempts and self-harm among females. Among males, childhood emotional violence was significantly associated with increased odds of reporting suicidal ideation and/or attempts (aOR=9.233; CI=2.293-37.177) or severe mental distress (aOR=2.823; CI=1.115-7.148). ConclusionChildhood exposure to violence was associated with poor mental health, with a higher risk observed among females. The findings of this paper provide critical insights to facilitate the development or strengthening of violence prevention and response interventions on violence against children in refugee settings.

The Role of Childhood Violence in Adult Victimization Among Women Experiencing Homelessness in Spain.

Persons experiencing homelessness represent one of the principal manifestations of the phenomenon of social exclusion, with homeless women constituting a group in a particularly vulnerable situation. The article analyzed the experience of violence in childhood and adolescence, and its implications in terms of violence experienced as an adult, in a sample of women experiencing homelessness in Madrid (Spain) (n = 138). All participants were of legal age and had spent the night before the interview in a shelter or other facility for the homeless, on the street, in public spaces or in places not suitable for sleeping. Information was gathered through a structured interview. The results show that the interviewees had experienced a high percentage of physical, psychological, and/or sexual violence, both in their childhood and adolescence and throughout their lives, with a strong correlation between the experience of violence in childhood and the experience of violence in adulthood, particularly sexual assaults, intimate partner violence, and sex work. The experience of childhood sexual abuse among women experiencing homelessness appears to have had particularly negative consequences in adulthood. Public policies, prevention programs, and care mechanisms with a gendered perspective must be implemented, aimed at reducing the number and intensity of situations of violence experienced by women and girls at risk of social exclusion or in a homeless situation.

Violence in intimate relationships: Symptomatology and motivation for change.

This study aimed to analyze the experiences of victims of violence in intimate relationships (VIRs) who remain in, return to, or abandon the abusive relationship, as well as examine the type of violence suffered, the existing symptoms, and the motivation to change as explained by the Transtheoretical Model of Change. The participants were 38 victims, three males and 35 females, who completed an online questionnaire comprising a section on sociodemographic data, and three instruments, the Self-Reporting Questionnaire 20 (SRQ-20), Marital Violence Inventory (MVI), and the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA). Data analysis has shown that psychological violence was the type of violence most frequently experienced followed by physical and verbal violence, the house of the victims was the local where the violence mostly took place, the help-seeking behaviors were mostly directed to the family and attempts to leave from the abusive relationship is related to the experience of family violence in childhood. Participants were all in the action stage of the change, but aggressor's expectation/promise to change, the existence of children and maintaining the family or marriage, as well as economic difficulties are the main factors that contribute to both remaining in, or returning to, the abusive relationship. We will reflect on the social, clinical, and legal implications for the future of research with victims of VIR. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Understanding the Trajectories of Women who use Violence Through an Intersectional Feminist Analysis.

This article discusses the results of a collaborative research project aimed at understanding the life trajectories of women who have self-identified as having used violence in a context other than self-defense, which is an understudied topic. Based on semi-structured interviews and aided by an intersectional feminist framework applied to life course theory, we present a qualitative analysis of 26 women's experiences of violence, precarity, and services. The three groups of trajectories are distinguished by level of precarity as determined by the experience of violence in childhood, socioeconomic and family contexts, criminalization, intensity of violence, and whether the women received adequate support. This shows (1) the need for interventions to prevent the reproduction or aggravation of violence suffered and perpetrated; (2) the importance of considering the inter-related factors (gender, class race, etc.) that contribute to the women's precarity; and (3) that these factors must be considered to understand the contexts in which women have come to use violence, without trivializing or excusing it, but rather properly situating it with a view to better preventing and intervening in these situations. Our recommendations are aimed at ensuring that social work practices do not contribute to the enforcement of punitive measures, but support women in pursuing their path.

NCSA 2022 Presidential Address: Critical Analysis of Violence against Women in South Asia: Focus on Pakistan

ABSTRACT This paper – a version of the presidential address delivered at the North Central Sociological Association (NCSA) annual meeting in April 2022 – details research undertaken between 2020 and 2021 on violence against women in Pakistan. Three data sources are used to critically analyze the frequency and magnitude of violence against women in Pakistan: secondary data collected by Pakistan government and international organizations, social and print media in Pakistan, and in-depth interviews conducted with 337 women in Pakistan. Findings address the relationship of several variables highlighted in the literature and Hein’s model of violence against women, including type of marriage, background, education, income, occupation, drug use, experiences of childhood violence, the dowry system, and control tendencies of men.

Psychological Consequences of Experiencing Violence in Childhood-The Role of Dissociation in the Formation of Early Maladaptive Schemas.

Childhood experiences of violence can lead to severe psychological consequences. One of them is an increased risk of abnormal personality development. It can manifest as rigid negativistic beliefs about the self, others, and the surrounding world, which some specialists term early maladaptive schemas. The conducted study aims to provide a possible explanation of the role dissociation plays in the process of forming early maladaptive schemas. The study was conducted on 342 adult women whose biographies contained one or more episodes of potentially traumatic experiences of violence in childhood. Three questionnaires were used: Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Dissociative Experiences Scale, Young Schema Questionnaire. The results show that experiences of violence are linked with dissociative disorders and the intensity of early maladaptive schemas. Mediation analysis confirmed that the relationship between experiencing violence and early maladaptive schemas is exacerbated by the presence of dissociative symptoms resulting from the violence experienced. The mediation analysis results suggest that if an experience of violence is followed by the emergence of dissociative symptoms, its impact on personality is more severe. This confirms earlier notions regarding the role that dissociative symptoms play in personality changes stemming from traumatic events.

Revictimisation of Women in Non-Urban Areas: A Scoping Review

Literature widely acknowledges that women who experience Child Sex Abuse (CSA) have a higher risk of experiencing sexual revictimisation later in life, yet less is known about experiences of revictimisation in non-urban areas. The aim of this review is to examine what is known internationally regarding revictimisation of non-urban women, and to provide future research, practice and policy recommendations. A total of 2414 articles were identified through a comprehensive search across five broad health sciences and humanities databases; 11 articles met inclusion criteria and were included in this review. This review found a general lack of qualitative revictimisation studies, and limited research focusing on non-urban women. While existing studies included non-urban research samples, few articles (n = 3) explored how non-urban location contextualises revictimisation experiences. Most peer-reviewed articles identified within this paper (n = 7) examined intimate partner violence (IPV) revictimisation, highlighting a significant lack of research on sexual revictimisation within non-urban settings. Findings from the review indicate that experiences of violence in childhood and adulthood are frequent among non-urban women, and that experiencing child abuse is associated with a heightened likelihood of poor mental health and IPV in adulthood. The review also found that non-urban women faced significant structural disadvantage including low levels of employment and income, limited-service sector resources, unsafe family environments and exposure to community violence. Additional qualitative research is needed to better understand the experiences and needs of non-urban revictimised women, particularly within an Australian context.

Symposium

Brief bio data of proposer: Currently working as Professor and Head of Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. Mostly work with adult psychiatry and addiction patients, and coordinator of Clinical Research Center for Neuromodulation in Psychiatry.Subtopics:Lithium-associated thyroid abnormalities: An overview – Dr Suma T. Udupa, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka, IndiaLithium-associated hypothyroidism: Case-based discussion – Dr Shahul Ameen,Consultant Psychiatrist, St Thomas Hospital, Chenganacherry, KeralaLithium-associated hyperthyroidism: Case-based discussion - Dr. Samir Kumar Praharaj, Professor and Head, Dept. of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka, IndiaLearning objectives:1. To understand the thyroid abnormalities associated with long term lithium use.2. To understand the clinical presentations of hypo- and hyperthyroidism associated with long term lithium use and their managementBrief description of symposiumLithium is the gold standard mood stabilizer for bipolar disorder. It not only prevents mood episodes, but also has antisuicidal and neuroprotective effects. Despite its efficacy, its use is limited because of the adverse effects associated with long term use. Early identification and management of such adverse effects is the need of hour to increase acceptability among patients as well as physicians. In this symposium we focus on a less discussed topic, i.e. thyroid abnormalities associated with long term lithium use.Dr Suma T Udupa will give an overview of thyroid abnormalities associated with long term lithium use, which will include the type of abnormalities, their incidence and prevalence, and, risk factors. She will also discuss the probable mechanisms briefly. Dr Shahul Ameen and Dr Samir K. Praharaj will discuss the clinical presentations and management of lithium associated hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, respectively. They will use case vignettes to facilitate interactive discussion on the early presenting features, differential diagnoses and approaches to management.Protection of / prevention from violence against children: the role of educational system.The experience of violence in childhood impacts lifelong on mental health and well-being. The National Crime Records Bureau 2019 data tells us that every hour, 6 cases of child abuse occur, 57 percent of cases of sexual abuse are perpetrated by close family members. Globally, it is estimated that upto 1 billion children aged 2-7 years, have experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence or neglect (UNICEF,2020). The protection of child against violence and prevention mechanisms in our country is in very nascent stage and is currently struggling to adapt child-friendly procedure and inculcating various awareness building programes in different service sectors . There is tremendous need to inculcate new programes in educational sector to develop social and emotional skills to handle such problems at the very base level. It is the time to stop the harmful system to breed further. The study comes at a crucial time when a good number of people are showing interest to know more about the mechanisms meant for preventing and protecting children from abuse and violence. In this study some evidence based mechanisms i.e. ‘respectful relationship education’ (Australia) and ‘ happiness curriculum’(India) will be discussed. The discussion will throw some light of how social emotional learning(SEL) helps to develop skills of understanding the right communication, to identify wrong attitude, behavior, act etc and handling the signals of various situations breeding violence before it occurs.Authours : Dr. Sampa SinhaPsychiatric Social Worker, Dept. of PSW, IHBAS, DelhiDr. Deepak KumarProfessor & Head Dept. of Psychiatry, IHBAS, DelhiCorrespondence e-mail: sinhasampa25@rediffmail.com/sampa_in2000@yahoo.co.in

Prevalence and factors associated with the use of sleep-inducing medication among women receiving Primary Health Care: a cross-sectional study in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil, 2014.

To verify prevalence and factors associated with the use of sleep-inducing medication among women receiving primary health care (PHC) in Vitória, ES, Brazil. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 2014 with women aged 20-59. We analyzed association of sleep-inducing medication use with socioeconomic factors and experiences of violence (Poisson regression). Out of 991 participants, 18.5% were using sleep-inducing medication and 45.9% had used it at some point in their lives. Current and lifetime use of these medications was associated with age, years of education, as well as psychological, physical and sexual violence in the last year (p-value<0.05). Lower family income (PR=1.30; 95%CI 1.03;1.64) and controlling partner (PR=1.35; 95%CI 1.08;1.69) were associated with current use, while experience of sexual violence in childhood (PR=1.33; 95%CI 1.13;1.56) was associated with lifetime use. Use of sleep-inducing medication was frequent among PHC service users, and was associated with socioeconomic factors and experiences of violence.

Dating violence and associated factors among male and female adolescents in Spain.

BackgroundDating Violence (DV) is a public health problem that is on the rise. In this paper, we aim to analyse different factors associated with DV victimization among female and male adolescents in Spain, considering socioeconomic circumstances, sexual orientation and the presence of different attitudes and experiences related to violence.MethodsCross-sectional data from a convenience sample of 640 ever-partnered adolescents aged 13 to 17 at schools in the cities of Alicante (n = 359, 50.1% girls) and Terrassa (n = 281, 51.9%) in the context of an educational intervention to promote healthy relationships. We calculated the prevalence of different forms of DV (physical, sexual and control and fear) and carried out multivariate regression models by sex.Results5.5% of girls and 8.7% of boys declared having suffered lifetime physical and/or sexual violence, while 22% of girls and 20.5% of boys reported control and/or fear victimization. The likelihood of DV was higher among migrants and those with foreign-born parents (aPR girls = 2.1 CI95%: 1.1–3.9; aPR boys = 1.9: CI95%: 1.0–3.6); prior experiences of abuse (aPR girls = 1.6; CI95%: 1.0–2.6; aPR boys = 1.7; CI95%: 1.1–2.6); and those who showed higher levels of machismo (aPR girls = 1.0; CI95%: 1.0–1.1; aPR boys = 1.0; CI95%: 1.0–1.1). In girls, DV increased among those who reported lesbian/bisexual orientation and poor relationship with teachers.ConclusionsDV is socially patterned and increases among LGB adolescents (especially in the case of girls), migrants, and those with foreign-born parents, and adolescents who reported prior experiences of violence in childhood. Future DV prevention programs should consider social inequalities in the likelihood of DV and by reinforcing adolescents’ abilities to recognize social support sources and reject machismo and violence.

Czy „rodzeństwo zawsze się bije”? Znormalizowana przemoc między rodzeństwem w dzieciństwie — stan badań, skala zjawiska, doświadczenia dorosłego rodzeństwa

This article deals with the problem of sibling violence in childhood. According to the data, children are particularly often the victims of physical and psychological abuse from their brothers and sisters. However, this topic is relatively rarely discussed in Polish sociological and psychological literature. Among other reasons, there is a tendency to perceive violence between children as irrelevant and as an unavoidable element of childhood. The author has three purposes. First, she presents the state of expertise on sibling violence. Second, she presents data obtained from the Empowering Children Foundation on how many children report sibling violence to the Helpline and thus illustrates the scale of the phenomenon in Poland. Third, she attempts to show how the experience of sibling violence in childhood is reflected in the stories adults recount in regard to their biographies and their relations with their siblings. Cases are cited that illustrate the various circumstances of physical and psychological violence in sibling relations.

The relationship between childhood physical abuse and juvenile delinquency

Intergenerational research in criminology often focuses on the cycle of violence. Despite the increased attention to intergenerational transmission processes, there is often disagreement about the measurements used and the analytical methods applied. Using data from the German longitudinal prospective panel study Crime in the Modern City (CRIMOC), the current study sought (1) to make a statement concerning the extent of the participants’ self-reported experiences of physical violence in childhood as committed by their own parents, (2) to examine the connection between the participants’ experience of violence and subsequent delinquency in adolescence, and (3) to determine how the definition or operationalization of physical abuse has influenced results regarding the reported connection with delinquency. The findings illustrate the suspected connection between physical abuse and delinquency or violent delinquency, especially for those who have experienced severe violent treatment by their parents. These results remain stable even with different definitions and operationalizations of physical abuse.

Gender-norms, violence and adolescence: Exploring how gender norms are associated with experiences of childhood violence among young adolescents in Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Adolescence is a time of particular risk for violence perpetrated by parents, teachers, peers and intimate partners. Social norms that condone violent discipline, promote masculinities focused on violence, and support gender inequality play an important role in perpetuating violence. However, little is known about the relationship between inequitable gender norms and children’s experiences of violence from parents or other adults in the household. Utilising data from the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) study, this paper explores how adolescent and household attitudes and community-level gender norms influence experiences of violence among young adolescents (aged 10–12) in Ethiopia. Our results show that community norms, rather than adolescent and household attitudes, are significantly associated with experiences of household violence. This result holds for boys and girls, and in rural areas. In urban areas, however, adolescent attitudes were more influential than community norms, perhaps indicating less cohesive communities. Overall, these findings suggest that violence prevention programming should prioritise shifting community norms, particularly in rural areas, in order to promote adolescent girls’ and boys’ right to bodily integrity.

Lifetime experiences of violence against women and men in Sweden.

Aims: The aims of this cross-sectional study were to examine the prevalence of lifetime exposure to sexual, physical and psychological violence among a representative sample of women and men in Sweden, and to analyze if there were gender differences regarding the types of violence the participants were exposed to and by whom it was perpetrated. Methods: A survey containing questions about lifetime experiences of sexual, physical and psychological violence was sent to a national sample of 10,000 women and 10,000 men aged 18-74; 56.8% of the women and 46.5% of the men agreed to participate. Results: Sexual violence in childhood was reported by 26.4% of women and 22.1% experienced sexual violence in adulthood. Among men, 11% disclosed experiences of sexual violence in childhood and 4.5% in adulthood. Physical violence was experienced by 39.3% of women in childhood and by 18.8% as adults, often by a present or former partner. Among men, 59.3% were exposed to physical violence during childhood, often by a peer, and 20.4% as adults. Psychological violence in childhood was experienced by 58.1% of women in childhood and by 21.8% in adulthood. Among male respondents, 69.2% reported experiences of physiological violence in childhood, often by a peer, and 9.4% in adulthood. Conclusions: Lifetime violence exposure is common in the Swedish population. Though it affects both women and men, the patterns of type of violence and perpetrators are different. The results suggest that violence prevention early in life is important to target.

The prevalence, posttraumatic depression and risk factors of domestic child maltreatment in rural China: A gender analysis

ObjectiveCurrently, gender disparities in domestic child maltreatment (DCM) have become an important and highly controversial issue worldwide. This study aims to provide panoramic evidence from China on this issue. MethodData were derived from a survey of 4,308 children (Mage = 12.13, 48.7% were boys) conducted in seven provinces in rural China from June to December 2019. This study used multistage cluster sampling to select respondents, and modified versions of the JVQ Scale and the DSM-5 Scale (11–17 years old) were adopted. ResultsThis study reached three significant conclusions. First, the gender disparities in DCM vary among different maltreatment subtypes. Compared with girls, boys are more likely to experience physical abuse. A higher prevalence of neglect is observed among girls than among boys. Second, although DCM significantly increased the likelihood of posttraumatic depression for all children, its negative effect was more severe for girls than for boys. Third, gender heterogeneity is less evident than gender homogeneity in the risk factors for DCM. In rural China, children’s problematic behaviours, family structure, parents’ experiences of childhood violence and family relationships are common predictors of maltreatment for all children. ConclusionThis paper highlights gender differences in the risk of DCM among children in rural China, reveals the Confucian culture behind DCM and gender, and provides Chinese evidence for building an international dialogue.

Unpacking Parental Violence in Narratives: Agency, Guilt, and Pedagogy in Narratives about Traumatic Interpersonal Experiences

AbstractThis article deals with narratives of traumatic experiences of parental violence in childhood, told by adult narrators in the context of clinical adult attachment interviews. The study rests on a corpus of interviews with 20 patients suffering from fibromyalgia, who were interviewed in the context of psychodynamic psychotherapy. Nine of the patients reported repeated experiences of parental violence. The article focuses on extracts from two interviews, which provide for a maximal contrast concerning the practices of telling experiences of violence and which are ‘clear cases’ of the practices that are characteristic of the whole corpus. The main differences between the different ways of telling concern:• With respect to the ascription of guilt and responsibility, parental violence is portrayed as legitimate pedagogic action versus as being evil-minded and guilty without rational justification.• With respect to the process of the telling, we find narrative trajectories over which an initial vague gloss is increasingly unpacked by reports of highly violent actions versus narratives in which violence is overtly stated and morally ascribed from its very first mention.

“Those songs were the ones that made me, nobody asked me this question before”: Music Elicitation with ex-gang involved men about their experiences of childhood domestic violence and abuse

This article describes the use of music and music videos as an elicitation tool within life-story narrative interviews. The study focused on the lives of men who had experienced domestic violence and abuse in childhood and become involved on road and/or with gangs. Music elicitation was used as participants were asked to select three music tracks that aided them telling their life stories, with particular reference to their experiences of domestic violence in childhood and their involvement on road and in gangs. The music tracks and in many cases the accompanying music videos were viewed in the interview space by both the researcher and participant together. In this case, music elicitation was found to be a very valuable element to the interviews and enhanced the experience for both the participant and researcher. Music elicitation operated in three main ways. Firstly, music often had been used as a personal coping mechanism, and this was recalled in the interview, acting as an anchor to the memory. Secondly, at points, both the music lyrics and their accompanying music videos were used as tools for communication by the participant, through them being used as metaphors, or as illustrations of the past. Lastly, the music was used by the participants as a narrative tool to structure and pace the interviews, giving them greater control over the interview space. This article shows promising results in using music as an elicitation tool for research with this participant group discussing sensitive issues.

Decreased serum total cholesterol is associated with a history of childhood physical violence in depressed outpatients

Associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and cholesterol in depressed patients are unclear. Therefore, we compared 78 adult outpatients with major depressive disorder (MDD) with (n = 24) or without (n = 54) experiences of physical violence in childhood. Background data were collected with questionnaires, and total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were measured from fasting blood samples. Patients with a history of childhood physical violence had lower levels of TC than the control group. No differences were observed in HDL-C, LDL-C, or low-grade inflammation levels between the two groups. In multivariate models, decreased levels of TC were associated with childhood physical violence, and these associations remained significant after adjustments for age, gender, lifestyle, metabolic condition, socioeconomic situation, psychiatric status, suicidality, low-grade inflammation, the chronicity of depression, medications used and somatic diseases. At the 8-month follow-up, the results were essentially the same when the Trauma and Distress Scale (TADS) was used as the measure of ACEs. The specific mechanisms underlying cholesterol alterations associated with ACEs are a topic for future studies. Better understanding of these mechanisms might lead to possible new interventions in the prevention of adverse health effects resulting from ACEs.

The Level of Personality Organization and Revictimization in Lives of Child Sexual Abuse Survivors.

Previous research has documented that women who were sexually abused in childhood are also often victims of sexual abuse in adulthood. In the current study, we investigated the relationship between the phenomenon of sexual revictimization and personality organization (PO) conceptualized in accordance with the Otto Kernberg's theory. The central hypothesis was that women with borderline personality organization (BPO) and neurotic personality organization (NPO) differ in terms of the occurrence of revictimization and its features. We predicted that women with BPO would experience revictimization more often, and that it would be characterized by features determining its higher severity than in women with NPO. In our study, 119 Polish adult women completed measures of PO and experiences of sexual violence in childhood and adulthood. The results supported the predicted relationships. After controlling for participants' age, we showed that women with a close to borderline level of personality organization (cBPO) are at the greater risk of experiencing revictimization than those with NPO, in particular the revictimization involving penetration and by the previously known offender. Moreover, specific structural features related to BPO were found to have particular associations: Fear of Fusion (FF) was associated with the experience of revictimization; Identity Diffusion (ID), Primitive Defense Mechanism (PDM), FF, and Impaired Reality Testing (IRT) with penetration during revictimization; and PDM and IRT with revictimization by the previously known offender. Our findings suggest the importance of taking into account PO in estimating the risk of revictimization, as well as in therapy programs aimed at reducing this risk.

The experience of violence against children in domestic servitude in Haiti: Results from the Violence Against Children Survey, Haiti 2012

BackgroundThere have been estimates that over 150,000 Haitian children are living in servitude. Child domestic servants who perform unpaid labor are referred to as “restavèks.” Restavèks are often stigmatized, prohibited from attending school, and isolated from family placing them at higher risk for experiencing violence. In the absence of national data on the experiences of restavèks in Haiti, the study objective was to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of restavèks in Haiti and to assess their experiences of violence in childhood. MethodsThe Violence Against Children Survey was a nationally representative, cross-sectional household survey of 13–24year olds (n=2916) conducted May–June 2012 in Haiti. A stratified three-stage cluster design was used to sample households and camps containing persons displaced by the 2010 earthquake. Respondents were interviewed to assess lifetime prevalence of physical, emotional, and sexual violence occurring before age 18. Chi-squared tests were used to assess the association between having been a restavèk and experiencing violence in childhood. FindingsIn this study 17.4% of females and 12.2% of males reported having been restavèks before age 18. Restavèks were more likely to have worked in childhood, have never attended school, and to have come from a household that did not have enough money for food in childhood. Females who had been restavèks in childhood had higher odds of reporting childhood physical (OR 2.04 [1.40–2.97]); emotional (OR 2.41 [1.80–3.23]); and sexual violence (OR 1.86 [95% CI 1.34–2.58]) compared to females who had never been restavèks. Similarly, males who had ever been restavèks in childhood had significantly increased odds of emotional violence (OR 3.06 [1.99–4.70]) and sexual violence (OR 1.85 [1.12–3.07]) compared to males who had never been restavèks, but there was no difference in childhood physical violence. InterpretationThis study demonstrates that child domestic servants in Haiti experience higher rates of childhood violence and have less access to education and financial resources than other Haitian children. These findings highlight the importance of addressing both the lack of human rights law enforcement and the poor economic circumstances that allow the practice of restavèk to continue in Haiti.