Skip to main content
Log in

Exposure to Family Violence in Young At-Risk Children: A Longitudinal Look at the Effects of Victimization and Witnessed Physical and Psychological Aggression

  • Published:
Journal of Family Violence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examines the contribution of specific types of family violence exposure (e.g., victim vs. witness; physical vs. psychological) to aggressive and anxious/depressed problem behaviors in young (i.e., 6-year-old) at-risk children. This multisite prospective study of 682 children from four different regions of the country asked mothers and their 6-year-old children to report on violence exposure in their families. After controlling for mother reports of child problem behaviors on the Child Behavior Checklist at Age 4, it was found that subsequent exposure to family violence predicted reported problem behaviors at Age 6. Although mothers' report of child victimization predicted subsequent problem behaviors, witnessed violence was related to these problems only when both mothers and children reported its occurrence. The results of this study suggest that even though there was a relationship between witnessed and directly experienced family violence, both had independent, noninteractive effects on subsequent behavior problems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boney-McCoy, S., and Finkelhor, D. (1995). Psychosocial sequelae of violent victimization in a national youth sample. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 63: 726-736.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, C., and Schwarz, D. F. (1996). Prevalence and impact of exposure to interpersonal violence among suburban and urban middle school students. Pediatrics 98: 396-402.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooley-Quille, M. R., Turner, S. M., and Beidel, D. C. (1995). Emotional impact of children's exposure to community violence: A preliminary study. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 34: 1362-1368.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crittenden, P. M., Claussen, A. H., and Sugarman, D. B. (1994). Physical and psychological maltreatment in middle childhood and adolescence. Dev. Psychopathol. 6: 145-164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deater-Deckard, K., Dodge, K. A., Bates, J. E., and Pettit, G. S. (1998). Multiple risk factors in the development of externalizing behavior problems: Group and individual differences. Dev. Psycholpathol. 10: 469-493.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dodge, K. A., Pettit, G. S., and Bates, J. E. (1994). Effects of physical maltreatment on the development of peer relations. Dev. Psychopathol. 6: 43-55.

    Google Scholar 

  • DuRant, R. H., Getts, A., Dadenhead, C., Emans, S. J., and Woods, E. R. (1995). Exposure to violence and victimization and depression, hopelessness, and purpose in life among adolescents living in and around public housing. J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr. 16: 233-237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edleson, J. L. (1999). Introduction to special issue. Child Maltreat. 4: 91-92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emery, R. E., and Laumann-Billings, L. (1998). An overview of the nature, causes, and consequences of abusive family relationships: Toward differentiating maltreatment and violence. Am. Psychol. 53: 121-135.

    Google Scholar 

  • Everson, M. D., Hunter, W. M., Runyan, D. K., Edelsohn, G. A., and Coulter, M. L. (1989). Maternal support following disclosure of incest. Am. J. Orthopsychiatry 59(2): 197-207.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fantuzzo, J. W., DePaola, L. M., Lambert, L., Martino, T., Anderson, G., and Sutton, S. (1991). Effects of interparental violence on the psychological adjustment and competencies of young children. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 59: 258-265.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fantuzzo, J. W., Boruch, R., Beriama, A., Atkins, M., and Marcus, S. (1997). Domestic violence and children: Prevalence and risk in five major cities. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 36: 116-122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farrell, A. D., and Bruce, S. E. (1997). Impact of exposure to community violence on violent behvior and emotional distress among urban adolescents. J. Clin. Child Psychol. 26: 2-14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fergusson, D. M., and Horwood, L. J. (1998). Exposure to interparental violence in childhood and psychosocial adjustment in young adulthood. Child Abuse Negl. 22: 339-357.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fergusson, D. M., and Lynskey, M. T. (1997). Physical punishment/maltreatment during childhood and adjustment in young adulthood. Child Abuse Negl. 21: 617-630.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, L. N., Mokros, H. and Posnanski, E. O. (1993). Violent events reorted by normal urban school-aged children: Characteristics and depression correltes. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 32: 419-423.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorman-Smith, D., and Tolan, P. (1998). The role of exposure to community violence and developmental problems among inner-city youth. Dev. Psychopathol. 10: 101-116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henning, K., Leitenberg, H., Coffey, P., Bennett, T., and Jankowski, M. K. (1997). Long-term psychological adjustment to witnessing interparental physical conflict during childhood. Child Abuse Negl. 21: 501-515.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynch, M., and Cicchetti, D. (1998). An ecological-transactional analysis of children and contexts: The longitudinal interplay among child maltreatment, community violence, and children's symptomatology. Dev. Psychopathol. 10: 235-257.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. S., and Coatsworth, J. D. (1998). The development of competence in favorable and unfavorable environments: Lessons from research on successful children. Am. Psychol. 53: 205-220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muller, R. T., Goebel-Fabbri, A. E., Diamond, T., and Dinklage, D. (2000). Social support and the relationship between family and community violence exposure and psychopathology among high risk adolescents. Child Abuse Negl. 24: 449-464.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council. (1993). Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect, National Academy Press, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Okun, A., Parker, J. G., and Levendosky, A. A. (1994). Distinct and interactive contributions of physical abuse, socioeconomic disadvantage, and negative life events to children's social, cognitive, and affective adjustment. Dev. Psychopathol. 6: 77-98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osofsky, J. D. (1998). Children as invisible victims of domestic and community violence. In Holden, G. W., Geffner, R., and Jouriles, E. N. (Eds.), Children Exposed to Marital Violence: Theory, Research, and Applied Issues, American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, pp. 95-117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osofsky, J. D., Wewers, S., Hann, D. M., and Fick, A. C. (1993). Chronic community violence: What is happening to our children? Psychiatry, 56: 36-45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richters, J. E., and Martinez, P. (1993). The NIMH community violence project: I. Children as victims and witnesses to violence. Psychiatry, 56: 7-21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Runyan, D. K., Curtis, P., Hunter, W. M., Black, M. M., Kotch, J. B., Bangdiwala, S., Dubowitz, H., English, D., Everson, M., and Landsverk, J. (1998). LONGSCAN: A consortium for longitudinal studies of maltreatment and the life course of children. Aggression Viol. Behav. Rev. J. 3(3): 275-285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwab-Stone, M. E., Ayers, T. S., Kasprow, W., Voyce, C., Barone, C., Shriver, T., and Weissberg, R. P. (1995). No safe haven: A study of violence exposure in an urban community. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 34: 1343-1352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwab-Stone, M., Chen, C., Greenberger, E., Silver, D., Lichtnman, J., and Voyce, C. (1999). No safe haven II: The effects of violence expposure on urban youth. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 38(4): 359-367.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shipman, K. L., Rossman, B. B. R., and West, J. C. (1999). Co-occurrence of spousal violence and child abuse: Conceptual implications. Child Maltreat. 4: 93-102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, C. R., and Serres, F. (1999). Effects of parental verbal aggression on children's self-esteem and school marks. Child Abuse Negl. 23: 339-351.

    Google Scholar 

  • Straus, M. (1979). Measuring intrafamily conflict and violence: The Conflict Tactics Scales. J. Marr. Fam. 41: 75-88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Straus, M., Hamby, S., Boney-McCoy, S., and Sugarman, D. (1996). The revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2): Development and preliminary psychometric data. J. Fam. Issues 17(3): 283-316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, L., Zuckerman, B., Harik, V., and Groves, B. M. (1994). Witnessing violence by young children and their mothers. J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr. 15: 120-123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolfe, D. A., and McGee, R. (1994). Dimensions of child maltreatment and their relationship to adolescent adjustment. Dev. Psychopathol. 6: 165-181.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alan J. Litrownik.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Litrownik, A.J., Newton, R., Hunter, W.M. et al. Exposure to Family Violence in Young At-Risk Children: A Longitudinal Look at the Effects of Victimization and Witnessed Physical and Psychological Aggression. Journal of Family Violence 18, 59–73 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021405515323

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021405515323

Navigation