Children’s Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence: Should Sexual Coercion be Considered?

Date

2016

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Journal of Family Psychology 

Abstract

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 (7 to 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: 1) non-violent, 2) physical-only, 3) sexual-only, 4) sexual + physical. Children in the physical-only, sexual-only, and sexual + physical groups exhibited greater levels of externalizing problems than children in the non-violent 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.

Description

Keywords

Intimate partner violence, exposure to violence, children’s adjustment problems, child witness, interpersonal violence, sexual coercion

Citation

Jouriles, E. N., McDonald, R., Vu, N. L., & Sargent, K. S. (2016). Children’s Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence: Should Sexual Coercion be Considered? Journal of Family Psychology : JFP : Journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43), 30(4), 503–508. http://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000146

DOI