Intimate partner violence and child and adolescent adjustment: The protective roles of neighborhood social processes

Abstract

Parental intimate partner violence (PIPV) is a serious public health problem that can have deleterious effects on children. However, little is known about the implications of PIPV for long-term child development, or about the neighborhood social resources that may mitigate its negative effects. Taking an ecological approach, this study addresses gaps in the literature by examining associations between physical PIPV and the development of internalizing and externalizing problems from childhood through adolescence (ages 6-18) and explores the protective roles of neighborhood social cohesion and social control. Data came from 1,673 primary caregivers with children (mean youth age at wave 1 = 8.94, SD = 2.47; 50% female) who participated in three waves of the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods. Multilevel growth curve models revealed positive associations between PIPV and levels of youth internalizing and externalizing problems. PIPV was not related to rates of growth in internalizing or externalizing problems, and there were no differences for boys versus girls. Neighborhood social cohesion reduced the strength of association between PIPV and internalizing and externalizing problems, and social control was protective for externalizing problems but only during adolescence. The discussion centers on the role of neighborhood context for youth who experience physical PIPV and sheds light on avenues for intervention for children and adolescents in violent households. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).