NCJ Number
237826
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 26 Issue: 3 Dated: 2011 Pages: 377-392
Date Published
2011
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study explored the relationship between a child's exposure to domestic violence and the variables that were likely to mediate the effects of the exposure on the child's adjustment problems.
Abstract
This study examines the relationships among variables that were likely to mediate the effects of exposure to domestic violence on children's internalizing problems (i.e., children's appraisals of domestic violence and their perceptions of family relationships). The study was conducted with 79 children exposed to domestic violence, including 41 boys and 38 girls, aged between 9 and 12 years old. Indicators used for children's appraisals of violence were attribution of blame and perceived threat. Children's perceptions of family relationships were based on their levels of parentification and the degree of their loyalty conflicts. A path analysis was used to verify the predictive model's pathways and to test the multiple mediator effects. Findings confirm the contribution of mediating variables and also reflect the association between self-blame and children's parentification. The results stress the relevance of evaluating the combined role of different potential mediators to provide a better understanding of the impact of domestic violence on children. (Published Abstract)