title: Children's exposure to intimate partner violence.
abstract: Children's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) is now recognized as a form of child maltreatment associated with significant mental health impairment. This article provides an overview of the epidemiology of children's exposure to IPV, including prevalence, risk, and protective factors and associated impairment, and a summary of assessment and interventions aimed at preventing its occurrence and responding to children and families. Information about evidence-based approaches to responding to children who present with impairment after exposure to IPV, such as posttraumatic-stress disorder symptoms, is discussed. Some of the challenges in understanding children's needs with regard to safety and protection are outlined with recommendations for future directions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada. Electronic address: macmilnh@mcmaster.ca.
authors.forename: Harriet L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: MacMillan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Information & Media Studies, The University of Western Ontario, 1152 Richmond Street, North Campus Building, Room 254, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada.
authors.forename: C Nadine
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Wathen
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Child abuse; Child welfare; Intimate partner violence; Mental disorders; Spouse abuse