Psychological Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Their Mothers.

Abstract

While domestic violence and child abuse are known to be highly correlated, several related areas of functioning of victim mothers and children are not well researched and have implications for the provision of services. Fifty mothers and children were referred by service agencies for independent structured interviews and psychological assessment. Assessment focused on evidence of posttraumatic reexperiencing, avoidance, physiological arousal, associated symptoms, and parenting skills. A complex pattern of results documented high levels of abuse and associated trauma disorders in both the children and their mothers. However, the presence of disorders was generally not correlated between children and mothers, and affected mothers were less likely to seek mental health services for their children (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)