Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Mar 1;167(3):236-42.
doi: 10.1001/2013.jamapediatrics.324.

Resolution of intimate partner violence and child behavior problems after investigation for suspected child maltreatment

Kristine A Campbell  1 , Andrea M Thomas, Lawrence J Cook, Heather T Keenan
Affiliations

Resolution of intimate partner violence and child behavior problems after investigation for suspected child maltreatment

Kristine A Campbell et al. JAMA Pediatr. .

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To describe longitudinal change in child behavior problems associated with resolution of intimate partner violence (IPV) after an investigation for suspected child maltreatment. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, a nationally representative longitudinal sample of US households investigated for suspected child maltreatment. PARTICIPANTS The study included 320 school-aged subjects with caregiver-reported IPV in the year prior to baseline interview. Caregivers were interviewed an average of 3, 20, 36, and 81 months following investigation. MAIN EXPOSURE Resolution vs persistence of baseline IPV. Persistence was defined by report of IPV during any follow-up interview. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Clinically significant internalizing or externalizing child behavior problems. RESULTS In total, 44.6% of caregivers who reported IPV at the baseline interview reported persistent IPV. After adjusting for significant covariates, IPV resolution was associated with an 11.9% reduction in internalizing problems by 81 months (P = .03); IPV persistence was associated with persistence in baseline problems. Resolution of IPV was associated with an 18.5% reduction in externalizing problems by 20 months that was sustained at 36 and 81 months (all P < .05). Intimate partner violence persistence was associated with a steady but nonsignificant increase in externalizing behavior problems during 81 months (10.1%, P = .07). The adjusted relative risks for internalizing and externalizing behavior problems 81 months following a child protective services investigation for children exposed to persistent vs resolved IPV were 1.79 (95% CI, 0.91-3.52) and 1.88 (95% CI, 1.12-3.18), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Resolution of IPV after a child protective services investigation for suspected child maltreatment is associated with meaningful, sustained reductions in clinically significant child behavior problems.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Adjusted probability (%) and adjusted risk ratios (ARR) of clinically significant internalizing child behavior problems after a CPS investigation for suspected child maltreatment among children with and without persistence of caregiver-reported IPV
Figure 2
Figure 2
Adjusted probability (%) and adjusted risk ratio (ARR) of clinically significant externalizing child behavior problems after a CPS investigation for suspected child maltreatment among children with and without persistence of caregiver-reported IPV
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

    1. Black MC, Basile KC, Breiding MJ, et al. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, National Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Atlanta, GA: 2011.
    1. Finkelhor D, Turner H, Ormrod R, Hamby SL. Violence, abuse, and crime exposure in a national sample of children and youth. Pediatrics. 2009 Nov;124(5):1411–1423. - PubMed
    1. Hazen AL, Connelly CD, Kelleher KJ, Barth RP, Landsverk JA. Female caregivers’ experiences with intimate partner violence and behavior problems in children investigated as victims of maltreatment. Pediatrics. 2006 Jan;117(1):99–109. - PubMed
    1. Hamby S, Finkelhor D, Turner H, Ormrod R. The overlap of witnessing partner violence with child maltreatment and other victimizations in a nationally representative survey of youth. Child Abuse Negl. 2010 Oct;34(10):734–741. - PubMed
    1. Bair-Merritt MH, Blackstone M, Feudtner C. Physical health outcomes of childhood exposure to intimate partner violence: a systematic review. Pediatrics. 2006 Feb;117(2):e278–290. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms