Child exposure to domestic violence, social factors and wellbeing in young people

Domestic violence (DV) is a pervasive worldwide problem. Growing up in a home affected by DV has been established as a complex trauma (Marigold, 2011) and as such may have negative consequences for children’s cognitive, emotional, behavioural and social functioning (Holt, 2008). However, meta-analyses show not only variations in outcomes within studies, as not all children are impacted equally (Kitzmann, 2003) but also an inconsistency in findings between studies, which may be attributed to methodological issues (Haselschwerdt, 2014). The overall objective of this thesis research was to address these concerns. The first study (Paper 1) is based on an online survey of students (n = 465) aged 17-25 years. Applying a social identity perspective, findings highlight the beneficial effects of having a strong family identification for such young people. However, as those who reported the highest level of exposure also reported the lowest level of family identification, those most in need of this beneficial psychological resource are least likely to access it. The second study is based on face-to-face interviews with 14 young people who grew up in homes affected by DV. This study aimed to analysis how young people understood and therefore construct their exposure to DV. Findings suggest that such constructions depend on the type of DV, which occurred in their home. The occurrence of physical DV was recognised as DV and facilitated help-seeking, however the occurrence of psychological DV was not labelled as DV and therefore led to ambiguity and confusion. Similarly, while the occurrence of extreme incidence of physical DV facilitated discussions on DV with mothers; this was not the case when psychological DV occurred. The third study, based on the quantitative dataset (study 1) evidenced the presence of two discrete yet inter-correlated dimensions of exposure to DV; namely psychological and physical DV. Significantly, findings verified the psychological dimension as the main driver in the reduction in psychological wellbeing, with exposure to the physical dimension contributing no additional impact. We also found that those reporting high levels of exposure to the psychological DV fared better in terms of social support when they also reported coexisting exposure to high (as opposed to low) levels of physical DV. The analytic focus of study four shifts from a micro to a macro level. A discursive analysis of interviews explored Irish Family Law Judges constructions of the relevance of child exposure to DV for their child custody decision-making. The findings suggest that Judges’ discourses were shaped by an idealisation of the nuclear family unit. Judges’ talk normalised, ignored or trivialised DV, rendering child exposure to DV as irrelevant to child custody and access to decision making. The thesis research provides nuanced insights to the child exposure literature and had implications for policy and practice as will be discusses throughout the thesis

The Greentown Project: Building Evidence to inform Intervention Design for Juveniles Caught-up in Local Criminal Networks

A small minority of juveniles are responsible for the majority of detected juvenile  crime in Ireland. This situation presents significant policy concerns. The current paper,  based on findings from a comparative analysis builds on a multi-step research design  process to provide evidence-based knowledge to inform the design of a new targeted  intervention. An initial social network analysis of national crime and intelligence  data produced localized basic criminal network maps illustrating co-offending and  intelligence relationships between adults and juveniles in specific Police sub-districts  (Part 1). These network maps then provided an enquiry frame for interviews with  members of the police forces in three case study locations (Part 2). A comparative  analysis of the three studies (Part 3) identified diversity in network structure  and inherent resilience. The analysis also identifies core similarities in juveniles’  vulnerabilities and risks to recruitment. These factors are important considerations  for an intervention seeking to disrupt networks and create safe “exit” environments  for juveniles.  </p

Restricted reproductive rights and risky sexual behaviour: how political disenfranchisement relates to women’s sense of control, well-being and sexual health

Few studies have investigated the role of disenfranchisement and denial of agency in women’s sexual health. To address this, a cross-sectional study of disenfranchisement, control (general and reproductive control) and health was conducted in Ireland, where abortion is severely restricted. Multiple mediation models (N = 513 women) indicated that general but not reproductive control mediates the association between disenfranchisement and psychological well-being. Additionally, serial mediation shows disenfranchisement is associated with lower sense of control, which is linked to poorer well-being and risky sexual behaviour. Disenfranchisement arising from socio-political contexts may have important implications for women’s sexual health