Citation

Georgsson A, Almqvist K, Broberg AG. Child Psychiatry Hum. Dev. 2011; 42(5): 539-556.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 500, SE405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden, anna.georgsson@psy.gu.se.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10578-011-0231-8

PMID

21538120

Abstract

Children with experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) are at risk. Not all children, however, display symptoms, and differences connected to gender and age have been demonstrated. In this exploratory study, children's own reports of symptoms were used. The 41 recruited children, between 7 and 19 years old, were entered into a group program specially directed toward children with experiences of IPV. These children reported experiencing more symptoms overall when compared with non-exposed children. The relationship to the abuser and children's symptoms related differently for boys and for girls. Girls who had continued contact with the abusive father described more mental health problems than did other girls exposed to IPV and more than did boys with continued contact. Among children with experiences of custody disputes or other judicial processes, age rather than gender was connected to differences in self-reported symptoms. Younger children with experiences of judicial processes reported more mental health problems than did those with no experience.

Language: en