Citation

Howell KH, Miller LE, Barnes SE, Graham-Bermann SA. Clin. Case Stud. 2014; 14(1): 31-46.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1534650114535841

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A significant proportion of children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) are preschool-aged, yet few interventions exist for this population. Those interventions that do exist focus primarily on reducing psychopathology, without addressing the range of potential outcomes, including resilient functioning. This case study considers the treatment of Alexis, a 6-year-old, African American girl who was referred for services following exposure to IPV. At her initial intake, she not only showed evidence of posttraumatic stress but also exhibited characteristics of resilient functioning. Over the course of a 10-session group intervention, Alexis's resilient functioning improved, according to both therapist and maternal report. At follow-up, her posttraumatic stress symptoms were below the clinical range, indicating improvement in psychopathology paralleling her increases in resilient functioning. This case lends support for the use of group interventions with young children exposed to violence and also emphasizes the importance of assessing multiple domains of functioning, including resilient behaviors.

Language: en