SURVIVING POVERTY: Stress and Coping in the Lives of Housed and Homeless Mothers

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73602/1/h0080357.pd

Intervention for Children Exposed to Interparental Violence (IPV): Assessment of Needs and Research Priorities

In this paper we review the development of interventions for children who have been exposed to interparental violence (IPV), assess current needs in the evaluation of interventions, and provide suggestions for research priorities in this area. Interventions for negative outcomes associated with exposure to IPV only recently have been carefully designed and evaluated, thus knowledge regarding program effectiveness is minimal. Three of the most comprehensive interventions that have been evaluated are presented. Each has demonstrated effectiveness, and focuses on children with different levels of symptoms and distress. However, many questions remain regarding which interventions are beneficial for diverse children with different kinds and intensities of problems. A number of research priorities and suggestions for further improvements in the evaluation of effectiveness of interventions are identified.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44276/1/10567_2004_Article_469659.pd

Children exposed to intimate partner violence: Identifying differential effects of family environment on children\u27s trauma and psychopathology symptoms through regression mixture models

The majority of analytic approaches aimed at understanding the influence of environmental context on children\u27s socioemotional adjustment assume comparable effects of contextual risk and protective factors for all children. Using self-reported data from 289 maternal caregiver-child dyads, we examined the degree to which there are differential effects of severity of intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure, yearly household income, and number of children in the family on posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS) and psychopathology symptoms (i.e., internalizing and externalizing problems) among school-age children between the ages of 7–12 years. A regression mixture model identified three latent classes that were primarily distinguished by differential effects of IPV exposure severity on PTS and psychopathology symptoms: (1) asymptomatic with low sensitivity to environmental factors (66% of children), (2) maladjusted with moderate sensitivity (24%), and (3) highly maladjusted with high sensitivity (10%). Children with mothers who had higher levels of education were more likely to be in the maladjusted with moderate sensitivity group than the asymptomatic with low sensitivity group. Latino children were less likely to be in both maladjusted groups compared to the asymptomatic group. Overall, the findings suggest differential effects of family environmental factors on PTS and psychopathology symptoms among children exposed to IPV. Implications for research and practice are discussed

The relationship between types of childhood victimisation and young adulthood criminality

BackgroundPrevious research suggests that some types of childhood abuse and neglect are related to an increased likelihood of perpetrating criminal behaviour in adulthood. Little research, however, has examined associations between multiple different types of childhood victimisation and adult criminal behaviour.AimsWe sought to examine the contribution of multiple and diverse childhood victimisations on adult criminal behaviour. Our central hypothesis was that, after controlling for gender, substance use and psychopathy, each type of childhood victimisation â specifically experience of property offences, physical violence, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and witnessed violence â would be positively and independently related to criminal behaviour in young adults.MethodsWe examined data from a large, nationally representative sample of 2244 young Swedish adults who reported at least one form of victimisation, using hierarchical regression analysis to also account for gender, substance use and psychopathy.ResultsExperiences of physical assaults, neglect and witnessing violence as a child were significantly associated with adult criminal behaviour, but not experiences of property, verbal or sexual victimizations.ConclusionsOur findings help to identify those forms of harm to children that are most likely to be associated with later criminality. Even after accounting for gender, substance misuse and psychopathology, childhood experience of violence â directly or as a witness â carries risk for adulthood criminal behaviour, so such children need targeted support and treatment. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138903/1/cbm2002.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138903/2/cbm2002_am.pd

Children\u27s experiences of companion animal maltreatment in households characterized by intimate partner violence

Cruelty toward companion animals is a well-documented, coercive tactic used by abusive partners to intimidate and control their intimate partners. Experiences of co-occurring violence are common for children living in families with intimate partner violence (IPV) and surveys show that more than half are also exposed to abuse of their pets. Given children\u27s relationships with their pets, witnessing such abuse may be traumatic for them. Yet little is known about the prevalence and significance of this issue for children. The present study examines the experiences of children in families with co-occurring pet abuse and IPV. Using qualitative methods, 58 children ages 7–12 who were exposed to IPV were asked to describe their experiences of threats to and harm of their companion animals. Following the interviews, template analysis was employed to systematically develop codes and themes. Coding reliability was assessed using Randolph\u27s free-marginal multirater kappa (kfree = .90). Five themes emerged from the qualitative data, the most common being children\u27s exposure to pet abuse as a power and control tactic against their mother in the context of IPV. Other themes were animal maltreatment to discipline or punish the pet, animal cruelty by a sibling, children intervening to prevent pet abuse, and children intervening to protect the pet during a violent episode. Results indicate that children\u27s experiences of pet abuse are multifaceted, potentially traumatic, and may involve multiple family members with diverse motives

Parenting in Battered Women: The Effects of Domestic Violence on Women and Their Children

This study integrates an ecological perspective and trauma theory in proposing a model of the effects of domestic violence on women's parenting and children's adjustment. One hundred and twenty women and their children between the ages of 7 and 12 participated. Results supported an ecological model of the impact of domestic violence on women and children. The model predicted 40% of the variance in children's adjustment, 8% of parenting style, 43% of maternal psychological functioning, and 23% of marital satisfaction, using environmental factors such as social support, negative life events, and maternal history of child abuse. Overall, results support the ecological framework and trauma theory in understanding the effects of domestic violence on women and children. Rather than focusing on internal pathology, behavior is seen to exist on a continuum influenced heavily by the context in which the person is developing.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44912/1/10896_2004_Article_298363.pd

Building an empowerment policy paradigm: Self-reported strengths of homeless mothers

Documented the self-reported strengths and goals of 64 mothers of young children residing in a temporary shelter for homeless families. The strengths most frequently reported included the ability to take action, parental competence, and determination in the face of stress. Program and policy implications of these positive attributes of homeless mothers are discussed

A Gender Analysis of Theories of Coping with Stress

In this article, various feminist theories are used to critique selected psychological theories of coping with stress, a reformulated coping theory is outlined, and recommendations for future research are made. To date, theories of coping often portray women as less able copers than the samples of men with whom they are compared. A reformulated theory, based on different women\u27s experiences, explicitly examines the role of social forces (sexism, racism) and access to power as variables in the coping process rather than solely focusing on the individual. Selected examples of research that contribute to such a revision are given. Revised theories and methodologies will encourage the more accurate appraisal of women\u27s coping abilities and generate information vital to the creation of more inclusive and representative theories of coping