Citation

Copping VE. J. Fam. Violence 1996; 11(1): 41-57.

Affiliation

Child and Adolescent Services, Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Department of Public Health Services, P.O. Box 897, L8N 3P6 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/BF02333339

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A review of the available research on child witnesses of family violence reveals inconsistent results. It is proposed that this is due in part to varying methodologies including oversimplified data categories and unreliable sources of report. The current study utilizes a longitudinal naturalistic observation format of 75 children in 5 women's shelters. Results show first, the complexity of behaviors, second, fluctuating positive behaviors, third, the overall decline of negative behaviors, and fourth, the shelter worker's role as the victims' primary object. Conclusions emphasize the importance of early childhood development, the need for clinical support to child victims of violence, and the need for counselling models to facilitate the changes in child victims' behaviors.