Elsevier

Aggression and Violent Behavior

Volume 13, Issue 2, March–April 2008, Pages 131-140
Aggression and Violent Behavior

Exposure to domestic violence: A meta-analysis of child and adolescent outcomes

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2008.02.005Get rights and content

Abstract

This study used meta-analysis to examine the relationship between childhood exposure to domestic violence and children's internalizing, externalizing, and trauma symptoms. Results from 60 reviewed studies revealed mean weighted effect size d-values of .48 and .47 for the relationship between exposure to domestic violence and childhood internalizing and externalizing symptoms, respectively, indicating moderate effects. A larger mean weighted effect size d-value of 1.54 was obtained for the relationship between exposure to domestic violence and childhood trauma symptoms, though this figure was based on only six studies. Moderator analyses for gender showed that the relationship between exposure to domestic violence and externalizing symptoms was significantly stronger for boys than for girls. Further analyses examining age, age by gender, and recruitment setting variables revealed no significant effects. Descriptive information obtained from this meta-analytic review suggests that more recent research within this area is beginning to address some of the significant methodological limitations of past research. Recommendations for future research in the area are discussed.

Section snippets

Intoduction

Each year, approximately 4.8 million acts of physical or sexual aggression are perpetrated against women while 2.9 million physically aggressive acts are perpetrated against men in the United States (Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998). What makes these figures even more disturbing is the realization that many of these incidents take place in the presence of children. In fact, researchers estimate that between three and 17.8 million children are exposed to at least one incident of domestic violence each

Literature search

Studies included in the present meta-analysis were identified using a variety of strategies. First, electronic literature searches of PSYCHINFO, PubMed, Social Services Abstracts, Family and Society Studies Worldwide, Sociological Abstracts, National Crime Justice Reference Service, Anthropological Literature Index, Dissertation Abstracts, and PapersFirst for the years 1990 through 2006 were performed using multiple combinations of the keywords, including: domestic violence, interparental

Calculation of effect sizes

The 60 studies included in the meta-analysis generated a total of 61 samples from which effect size estimates could be calculated (The article by Jouriles et al., 1996 represents two independent empirical investigations; thus, a total of 61 articles/dissertations are included in this meta-analysis.). One hundred eighty-three effect sizes were calculated from the 61 samples. Multiple effect sizes for each study were calculated because studies frequently used multiple assessment measures to

Discussion

Results of this meta-analysis support the hypothesis of an association between childhood exposure to domestic violence and internalizing, externalizing, and trauma symptoms in children. Mean weighted effects size estimates revealed d-values of .48 for the relationship between exposure to domestic violence and internalizing symptoms and .47 for the relationship between exposure to domestic violence and externalizing symptoms. The mean weighted effect size estimate revealed a d-value of 1.54 for

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    The asterisk indicate studies that were included in the current meta-analysis.

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