title: Prevalence, co-occurrence and decennial trends of family violence toward children in the general population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In Quebec, three population-based surveys have documented the prevalence of psychological aggression, and minor and severe physical violence toward children. This paper aims to present 1) the results of the 2012 survey with regard to the frequency and annual prevalence of violence, and 2) the trends in all three forms of violence between 1999 and 2012 according to children's age.
  
  
  METHODS
  The three independent surveys were all conducted through telephone interviews in 1999, 2004 and 2012 by the Institut de la Statistique du Québec and reached a total sample of 9,646 children living with a mother figure. Psychological aggression, and minor and severe physical violence were measured using the Parent Child Conflict Tactics Scales.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that repeated psychological aggression, after having increased between 1999 (48%) and 2004 (53%), slightly decreased in 2012 (49%). Minor physical violence decreased steadily between 1999 and 2012, from 48% to 35%, and severe physical violence remained stable (6%). These three forms of violence varied by the age category of the children. Finally, the results show that the co-occurrence of the use of physical and psychological violence remained high in all three surveys.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results are consistent with trends in North America and are discussed in terms of services to support families.
authors.affiliation: Département de psychoéducation et de psychologie, Université du Québec en Outaouais. marie-eve.clement@uqo.ca.
authors.forename: Marie-Ève
authors.initials: MÈ
authors.lastname: Clément
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chamberland
authors.forename: Camil
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bouchard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires