Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence: Striving Toward an Ecological Framework for Interventions

• NCJ Number: 215666
• Journal: Journal of Emotional Abuse Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: 2006 Pages: 1-23
• Author(s): Cliff McKinney; Karin Sieger; Allison Kanter Agliata; Kimberly Renk
• Date Published: 2006
• Length: 23 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Literature Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

After first reviewing the literature on the prevalence and consequences of children's exposure to violence between their parents (domestic violence), this paper then assesses the literature on Kelly's (1966) ecological framework for intervening to reduce children's exposure to and consequences from domestic violence.

Abstract

Current studies show that domestic violence is widespread, and it is estimated that at least 3.3 million children between the ages of 3 and 17 are exposed to domestic violence each year in the United States. Since domestic violence is usually continuous, it exposes children to a sustained violent environment that can contribute to various psychiatric disorders, notably posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Studies have shown a higher percentage of PTSD among children exposed to domestic violence compared with other children. Children exposed to domestic violence have also exhibited higher rates of aggression toward peers. There is also a high probability that children in a home where domestic violence exists are themselves likely to be sexually and physically abused. Research is just beginning to focus on interventions for children exposed to domestic violence. Overall, interventions that have been conducted have provided few outcome data. The authors propose testing Kelly's ecological framework as a strategy for intervention. Kelly's first principle suggests that the entire community be treated as the client. The second principle proposes concentrating community resources on the identified needs of high-risk groups, and the third principle recommends strengthening existing services and developing new services based on a needs assessment. The fourth principle is the continuous evaluation of and appropriate revision of services to ensure that they are effective and efficient. The authors discuss how these principles apply to intervention for children exposed to domestic violence. 63 references