Citation

Levendosky AA, Bogat GA, Martinez-Torteya C. Violence Against Women 2013; 19(2): 187-201.

Affiliation

1Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077801213476458

PMID

23420836

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) places infants and young children at risk for development of trauma symptoms. However, this is an understudied consequence of IPV because young children pose particular difficulties for assessment of trauma symptoms. The authors collected maternal reports on mothers' and children's posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and IPV yearly, from ages 1 to 7. Approximately half of the children exposed to IPV at each time period developed some trauma symptoms, and frequency of IPV witnessed was associated with PTSD symptoms. Maternal and child PTSD symptoms were correlated, suggesting that young children may be particularly vulnerable to relational PTSD due to their close physical and emotional relationship with their parents.

Language: en