Top

Published in:

01-05-2007 | Original Article

Relationship Abuse and Victims’ Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: Associations with Child Behavior Problems

Authors: Jillian Panuzio, Casey T. Taft, Danielle A. Black, Karestan C. Koenen, Christopher M. Murphy

Published in: Journal of Family Violence | Issue 4/2007

Abstract

This study examined associations among male-to-female physical and psychological relationship aggression, female partners’ PTSD symptoms, and behavior problems among the children (n = 62) of men enrolled in a treatment program for relationship abuse perpetration. Psychological aggression was a stronger predictor of child behavior problems than physical assault. Restrictive engulfment and hostile withdrawal behaviors evidenced the strongest bivariate associations with child behavior problems, and were the strongest predictors of this outcome when considering four distinct forms of psychological aggression together. Victim PTSD symptoms largely mediated the effects of psychological aggression on child behavior. Findings suggest that male-to-female psychological aggression and victim PTSD symptoms play an important role in understanding behavior problems among children living with male relationship abuse perpetrators.

Achenbach, T. (1991). Manual for the CBCL/4–18 and 1991 profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont.

American Psychiatric Association. (1980). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Arias, I. (1999). Women’s responses to physical and psychological abuse. In X. B. Arriaga, S. Oskamp (Eds.), Violence in intimate relationships (pp. 139–161). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Arias, I., & Pape, K. T. (1999). Psychological abuse: Implications for adjustment and commitment to leave violent partners. Violence and Victims, 14, 55–67.PubMed

Astin, M. C., Ogland-Hand, S., Coleman, E., & Foy, D. W. (1995). Posttraumatic stress disorder and childhood abuse in battered women: Comparisons with maritally distressed women. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63, 308–312.PubMedCrossRef

Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173–1182.PubMedCrossRef

Breslau, N., & Davis, G. (1987). Posttraumatic stress disorder: The etiological specificity of war-time stressors. American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 578–583.PubMed

Campbell, J. C., & Lewandowski, L. A. (1997). Mental and physical health effects of intimate partner violence on women and children. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 20, 353–374.PubMedCrossRef

Caselli, L. T., & Motta, R. W. (1995). The effect of PTSD and combat level on Vietnam veterans’ perceptions of child behavior and marital adjustment. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 51, 4–12.PubMedCrossRef

Christopoulos, C., Cohn, D. A., Shaw, D. S., Joyce, S., Sullivan-Hanson, J., Kraft, S. P., et al. (1987). Children of abused women: I. Adjustment at time of shelter residence. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 49, 611–619.CrossRef

Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Cummings, E. M. (1998). Children exposed to marital conflict and violence: Conceptual and theoretical directions. In G. W. Holden, R. A. Geffner, & E. N. Jouriles (Eds.), Children exposed to marital violence: Theory, research, and applied issues (pp. 55–93). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.CrossRef

David, C., Steele, R., Forehand, R., & Armistead, L. (1996). The role of family conflict and marital conflict in adolescent functioning. Journal of Family Violence, 11, 81–91.CrossRef

DuBois, D. L., Burk-Braxton, C., Swenson, L. P., Tevendale, H. D., Lockerd, E. M., & Moran, B. L. (2002). Getting by with a little help from self and others: Self-esteem and social support as resources during early adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 38, 822–839.PubMedCrossRef

Dubow, E. F., Tisak, J., Causey, D., Hryshko, A., & Reid, G. (1991). A two-year longitudinal study of stressful life events, social support, and social problem solving skills: Contributions to children’s behavioral and academic adjustment. Child Development, 62, 583–599.PubMedCrossRef

Dutton, M. A., Goodman, L. A., & Bennett, L. (1999). Court-involved battered women’s responses to violence: The role of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. Violence and Victims, 14, 89–104.PubMed

English, D. J., Marshall, D. B., & Stewart, A. J. (2003). Effects of family violence on child behavior and health during early childhood. Journal of Family Violence, 18, 43–57.CrossRef

Fantuzzo, J. W., DePaola, L. M., Lambert, L., Martino, T., Anderson, G., & Sutton, S. (1991). Effects of interparental violence on the psychological adjustment and competencies of young children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 258–265.PubMedCrossRef

Flisher, A. J., Kramer, R. A., Hoven, C. W., King, R. A., Bird, H. R., Davies, M., et al. (2000). Risk behavior in a community sample of children and adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 39, 881–887.PubMedCrossRef

Golding, J. M. (1999). Intimate partner violence as a risk factor for mental disorders: A meta-analysis. Journal of Family Violence, 14, 99–132.CrossRef

Grych, J. H., & Fincham, F. D. (1990). Marital conflict and children’s adjustment: A cognitive-contextual framework. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 267–290.PubMedCrossRef

Grych, J. H., Jouriles, E. N., Swank, P. R., McDonald, R., & Norwood, W. D. (2000). Patterns of adjustment among children of battered women. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 84–94.PubMedCrossRef

Housekamp, B. M., & Foy, D. W. (1991). The assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder in battered women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 6, 367–375.CrossRef

Hughes, H. M., Parkinson, D., & Vargo, M. (1989). Witnessing spouse abuse and experiencing physical abuse: A “double whammy?” Journal of Family Violence, 4, 197–209.CrossRef

Jaffe, P., Wolfe, D., Wilson, S., & Zak, L. (1985). Critical issues in the assessment of children’s adjustment to witnessing family violence. Canada’s Mental Health, 33, 15–19.

Jaffe, P., Wolfe, D., Wilson, S. K., & Zak, L. (1986). Family violence and child adjustment: A comparative analysis of girls’ and boys’ behavioral symptoms. American Journal of Psychiatry, 143, 74–77.PubMed

Jellinek, M., Little, M., Murphy, J. M., & Pagano, M. (1995). The Pediatric Symptom Checklist: Support for a role in a managed care environment. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 150, 768–769.

Jellinek, M. S., & Murphy, J. M. (1988). Screening for psychosocial disorders in pediatric practice. American Journal of Diseases of Children, 142, 1153–1157.PubMed

Jellinek, M. S., Murphy, J. M., Little, M., Pagano, M. E., Comer, D. M., & Kelleher, K. J. (1999). Use of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist to screen for psychosocial problems in pediatric primary care: A national feasibility study. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 153, 254–260.

Jordan, B. K., Marmar, C. R., Fairbank, J. A., Schlenger, W. E., Kulka, R. A., Hough, R. L., et al. (1992). Problems in families of male Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 916–926.PubMedCrossRef

Jouriles, E. N., Barling, J., & O’Leary, K. D. (1987). Predicting child behavior problems in maritally aggressive families. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 15, 165–173.PubMedCrossRef

Jouriles, E. N., McDonald, R., Spiller, L., Norwood, W. D., Swank, P. R., Stephens, N., et al. (2001). Reducing conduct problems among children of battered women. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 69, 774–785.PubMedCrossRef

Jouriles, E. N., Murphy, C. M., & O’Leary, K. D. (1989). Interspousal aggression, marital discord, and child problems. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57, 453–455.PubMedCrossRef

Jouriles, E. N., Norwood, W. D., McDonald, R., Vincent, J. P., & Mahoney, A. (1996). Physical violence and other forms of marital aggression: Links with children’s behavior problems. Journal of Family Psychology, 10, 223–234.CrossRef

Kelley, M. L., & Fals-Stewart, W. (2002). Couples- versus individual-based therapy for alcohol and drug abuse: Effects on children’s psychosocial functioning. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70, 417–427.PubMedCrossRef

Kenny, D. A., Kashy, D. A., & Bolger, N. (1998). Data analysis in social psychology. In D. T. Gilbert, S. T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology, (4th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 233–265). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Kernic, M. A., Wolf, M. E., Holt, V. L., McKnight, B., Huebner, C. E., & Rivara, F. P. (2003). Behavioral problems among children whose mothers are abused by an intimate partner. Child Abuse and Neglect, 27, 1231–1246.PubMedCrossRef

Kitzmann, K. M., Gaylord, N. K., Holt, A. R., & Kenny, E. D. (2003). Child witnesses to domestic violence: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 339–352.PubMedCrossRef

Lawrence, E., Heyman, R. E., & O’Leary, K. D. (1995). Correspondence between telephone and written assessments of physical violence in marriage. Behavior Therapy, 26, 671–680.CrossRef

Levendosky, A. A., & Graham-Bermann, S. A. (1998). The moderating effects of parenting stress on children’s adjustment in woman-abusing families. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 13, 383–397.CrossRef

Levendosky, A. A., & Graham-Bermann, S. A. (2000). Behavioral observations of parenting in battered women. Journal of Family Psychology, 14, 80–94.PubMedCrossRef

Levendosky, A. A., & Graham-Bermann, S. A. (2001). Parenting in battered women: The effects of domestic violence on women and their children. Journal of Family Violence, 16, 171–192.CrossRef

Levendosky, A. A., Huth-Bocks, A. C., Semel, M. A., & Shapiro, D. L. (2002). Trauma symptoms in preschool-age children exposed to domestic violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 17, 150–164.CrossRef

Levendosky, A. A., Huth-Bocks, A. C., Shapiro, D. L., & Semel, M. A. (2003). The impact of domestic violence on the maternal-child relationship and preschool-age children’s functioning. Journal of Family Psychology, 17, 275–287.PubMedCrossRef

Lloyd, J., Jellinek, M. S., Little, M., Murphy, M., & Pagano, M. (1995). Screening for psychosocial dysfunction in pediatric inpatients. Clinical Pediatrics, 34, 18–25.PubMed

Magdol, L., Moffitt, T. E., Caspi, A., & Silva, P. A. (1998). Developmental antecedents of partner abuse: A prospective-longitudinal study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 107, 375–389.PubMedCrossRef

Mahoney, A., Donnelly, W. O., Boxer, P., & Lewis, T. (2003). Marital and severe parent-to-adolescent physical aggression in clinic-referred families: Mother and adolescent reports on co-occurrence and links to child behavior problems. Journal of Family Psychology, 17, 3–19.PubMedCrossRef

Marshall, L. L. (1996). Psychological abuse of women: Six distinct clusters. Journal of Family Violence, 11, 379–409.CrossRef

Mason, W. A., Kosterman, R., Hawkins, J. D., Herrenkohl, T. I., Lengua, L. J., & McCauley, E. (2004). Predicting depression, social phobia, and violence in early adulthood from child behavior problems. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 43, 307–315.CrossRef

McCloskey, L. A., Figueredo, A. J., & Koss, M. P. (1995). The effects of systemic family violence on children’s mental health. Child Development, 66, 1239–1261.PubMedCrossRef

McFarlane, J. M., Groff, J. Y., O’Brien, J. A., & Watson, K. (2003). Behaviors of children who are exposed and not exposed to intimate partner violence: An analysis of 330 Black, White, and Hispanic children. Pediatrics, 112, 202–207.CrossRef

Moffitt, T. E., Caspi, A., Krueger, R. F., Magdol, K., Margolin, G., Silva, P. A., et al. (1997). Do partners agree about abuse in their relationship? A psychometric evaluation of interpartner aggression. Psychological Assessment, 9, 47–56.CrossRef

Murphy, C. M., & Hoover, S. A. (1999). Measuring emotional abuse in dating relationships as a multifactorial construct. Violence and Victims, 14, 39–53.PubMed

Murphy, C. M., Hoover, S. A., & Taft, C. T. (1999, November). The multidimensonal measure of emotional abuse: Factor structure and subscale validity. Paper presented at the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada.

Murphy, J. M., Jellinek, M., & Milinsky, S. (1989). The Pediatric Symptom Checklist: Validation in the real world of middle school. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 14, 629–639.PubMedCrossRef

Pagano, M. E., Cassidy, L. J., Little, M., Murphy, J. M., & Jellinek, M. S. (2000). Identifying psychosocial dysfunction in school-age children: The Pediatric Symptom Checklist as a self-report measure. Psychology in the Schools, 37, 91–106.CrossRef

Pagano, M., Murphy, J. M., Pedersen, M., Mosbacher, D., Crist-Whitzel, D., Jordan, P., et al. (1996). Screening for psychosocial problems in 4–5 year olds during routine EPSDT examinations: Validity and reliability in a Mexican-American sample. Clinical Pediatrics, 35, 139–147.PubMed

Rauch, P. K., Jellinek, M. S., Murphy, J. M., Schachner, L., Hansen, R., Esterly, N. B., et al. (1991). Screening for psychosocial dysfunction in pediatric dermatology practice. Clinical Pediatrics, 30, 493–497.PubMed

Robins, L. N., Helzer, J. E., Ratcliff, K. S., & Seyfried, W. (1982). Validity of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule, Version II: DSM-III diagnoses. Psychological Medicine, 12, 855–870.PubMedCrossRef

Rosenbaum, A., & O’Leary, K. D. (1981). Children: The unintended victims of marital violence. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 51, 692–699.PubMedCrossRef

Ruscio, A. M., Weathers, F. W., King, L. A., & King, D. W. (2002). Predicting male war-zone veterans’ relationships with their children: The unique contribution of emotional numbing. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 15(5), 351–357.PubMedCrossRef

Sackett, L. A., & Saunders, D. G. (1999). The impact of different forms of psychological abuse on battered women. Violence and Victims, 9, 31–44.

Saunders, D. G. (1994). Posttraumatic stress symptom profiles of battered women: A comparison of survivors in two settings. Violence and Victims, 14, 105–117.

Schlee, K. A., Heyman, R. E., & O’Leary, K. D. (1998). Group treatment for spouse abuse: Are women with PTSD appropriate participants? Journal of Family Violence, 13, 1–20.CrossRef

Simonian, S. J., & Tarnowski, K. J. (2001). Utility of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist for behavioral screening of disadvantaged children. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 31, 269–278.PubMedCrossRef

StataCorp. (2001). STATA Statistical Software: Release 7.0. College Station, TX: Stata Corporation.

Steiger, J. H. (1980). Tests for comparing elements of a correlation matrix. Psychological Bulletin, 87, 245–251.CrossRef

Sternberg, K. J., Lamb, M. E., Greenbaum, C., Cicchetti, D., Dawud, S., Cortes, R. M., et al. (1993). Effects of domestic violence on children’s behavior problems and depression. Developmental Psychology, 29, 44–52.CrossRef

Straus, M. (1979). Measuring intrafamily conflict and violence: The Conflict Tactics (CT) scales. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 41, 75–88.CrossRef

Straus, M. A. (1990). Measuring intrafamily conflict and violence: The conflict tactics scales. In M. A. Straus, & R. J. Gelles (Eds.), Physical violence in American families (pp. 29–48). New Brunswick, NJ: The Transaction Publishers.

Straus, M. A. (1992). Children as witnesses to marital violence: A risk of lifelong problems among a nationally representative sample of American men and women. In D. F. Schwarz (Ed.), Children and violence: Report of the twenty-third Ross Roundtable on critical approaches to common pediatric problems (pp. 98–109). Columbus, Ohio: Ross Lab.

Street, A. E., & Arias, I. (2001). Psychological abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder in battered women: Examining the roles of shame and guilt. Violence and Victims, 16, 65–78.PubMed

Street, A. E., King, L. A., King, D. W., & Riggs, D. S. (2003). The associations among male-perpetrated partner violence, wives’ psychological distress, and child behavior problems: A structural equation modeling analysis. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 34, 23–40.

Taft, C. T., Murphy, C. M., King, L. A., DeDeyn, J. M., & Musser, P. H. (2005). Posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology among partners of men in treatment for relationship abuse. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 114, 259–268.PubMedCrossRef

Taft, C. T., Murphy, C. M., King, D. W., Musser, P. H., & DeDeyn, J. M. (2003). Process and treatment adherence factors in group cognitive-behavioral therapy for partner violent men. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 812–820.PubMedCrossRef

Vitanza, S., Vogel, L. C. M., & Marshall, L. (1995). Distress and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in abused women. Violence and Victims, 10, 23–34.PubMed

Ware, H. S., Jouriles, E. N., Spiller, L. C., McDonald, R., Swank, P. R., & Norwood, W. D. (2001). Conduct problems among children and battered women’s shelters: Prevalence and stability of maternal reports. Journal of Family Violence, 16, 291–307.CrossRef

Watson, C. G., Juba, M. P., Manifold, V., Kucala, T., & Anderson, P. E. D. (1991). The PTSD interview: Rationale, description, reliability, and concurrent validity of a DSM-III based technique. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 47, 179–188.PubMedCrossRef

Wolfe, D. A., Jaffe, P., Wilson, S. K., & Zak, L. (1985). Children of battered women: The relation of child behavior to family violence and maternal stress. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, 657–665.PubMedCrossRef

Wolfe, D. A., Zak, L., Wilson, S., & Jaffe, P. (1986). Child witnesses to violence between parents: Critical issues in behavioral and social adjustment. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 14, 95–104.PubMedCrossRef

Title: Relationship Abuse and Victims’ Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: Associations with Child Behavior Problems
Authors: Jillian Panuzio
Casey T. Taft
Danielle A. Black
Karestan C. Koenen
Christopher M. Murphy
Publication date: 01-05-2007
Publisher: Kluwer Academic Publishers-Plenum Publishers
Published in: Journal of Family Violence / Issue 4/2007
Print ISSN: 0885-7482
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2851
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-007-9069-z

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Relationship Abuse and Victims’ Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: Associations with Child Behavior Problems

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 4/2007

The Relationship of Abuse to Women’s Health Status and Health Habits

Cross-cultural Validation of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory in Belgium (Flanders): Relations with Demographic Characteristics and Parenting Problems

Relationship Characteristics and Protective Orders Among a Diverse Sample of Women

Harsh Discipline and Child Problem Behaviors: The Roles of Positive Parenting and Gender

Veteran Status and Marital Aggression: Does Military Service Make a Difference?

Early Exposure to Violence in the Family of Origin and Positive Attitudes towards Marital Violence: Chinese Immigrant Male Batterers vs. Controls