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

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.