Children's exposure to intimate partner violence: Should sexual coercion be considered?
This study examined whether male-perpetrated sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) directed at a child's mother is associated with children's adjustment problems and if sexual IPV increases risk for children's adjustment problems over and above the risk associated with physical IPV alone. Participants were a community sample of 539 mothers and their children (age 7-10 years). Mothers and children reported on children's externalizing and internalizing problems. Mothers reported on recent male-perpetrated physical and sexual IPV and on their own psychological distress (depressive symptoms, relationship dissatisfaction). Four groups were formed on the basis of mothers' reports of IPV: nonviolent, physical only, sexual only, and sexual + physical. Children in the physical-only, sexual-only, and sexual + physical groups exhibited greater levels of externalizing problems than did children in the nonviolent group. Levels of externalizing problems among children in the physical-only and sexual-only groups did not differ. Including sexual IPV in the conceptualization of children's exposure to IPV may offer a more comprehensive understanding of how children are affected by IPV. (PsycINFO Database Record
Department of Psychology.
Ernest N
EN
Jouriles
Department of Psychology.
Renee
R
McDonald
Department of Psychology.
Nicole L
NL
Vu
Department of Psychology.
Kelli S
KS
Sargent
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D003068:Coercion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000066511:Intimate Partner Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data