NCJ Number
198411
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 17 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2002 Pages: 555-567
Date Published
October 2002
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined the incidence and correlates of posttrauma symptoms in 56 children of mothers who had been abused by their intimate partners and had been residents in women's shelters in Adelaide, South Australia.
Abstract
Previous studies have supported the application of a posttraumatic stress framework for understanding the responses of children who have witnessed domestic violence. The current study aimed to assess the incidence of posttrauma symptoms in a sample of children exposed to domestic violence, using the established criteria specified in the DSM-IV as a template. The instruments administered in the study were the Adapted Conflict Tactics Scale, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Interview Schedule, the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children, and the Children's Impact of Events Scale. The most frequently diagnosed symptoms of posttrauma stress disorder among the children were being troubled by distressing thoughts, conscious avoidance, hypervigilance, and sleep difficulties. Twenty percent of the children met the criteria for a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Children who met full PTSD criteria scored significantly higher on measures of anxiety, depression, and dissociation. Study results thus support the use of a posttrauma framework for understanding the effects on children of being exposed to domestic violence between their parents or caretakers. 2 tables and 42 references