Preschool children of battered women identified in a community setting.
This study describes and compares health, developmental, and behavioral manifestations of witnessing domestic violence in a health department population of preschool children (n = 15) of women detected to be battered (Conflict Tactics Scale [CTS], Straus, 1979). Comparisons included a community sample of the preschool children of nonbattered women (n = 62) to study the effect of mothers being battered, and a shelter sample of the preschool children of battered women (n = 53) to study the effect of "sheltering" on children's characteristics. Instrumentation included behavioral subscales, physical assessment, Denver II Developmental Screening, hemoglobin and lead levels, immunization, and nonmotor vehicle accident histories. Results showed more similarities between children of community (nonsheltered), battered and nonbattered women, but showed more differences between the children of community (nonsheltered) battered women and the children of sheltered, battered women. Battering intensity of the women was more severe in the shelter sample according to the CTS (p < .001), and more abnormal findings in their children were detected than in the community sample. When children of community (nonsheltered), battered women (n = 15) and children of sheltered, battered women (n = 53) were included in discriminant analysis of demographic characteristics, health status, and psychosocial variables, 87% of each group was classified correctly.
Attala
J
J
Barnes College of Nursing, University of Missouri-St. Louis, USA. jan_attala@umsl.edu
McSweeney
M
M
D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003152:Community Health Nursing; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D010371:Pediatric Nursing; D002666:Psychology, Child