Impact of Childhood Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence and Other Adversities

Abstract

Childhood exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and other adversities has been shown to have adverse effects on health and well-being not only in childhood but also throughout the lifespan. This paper focuses on the prevalence of childhood adversities including exposure to IPV. The intersection of adverse childhood experiences and IPV victimization/perpetration in adulthood is also explored. The neurobiology of trauma is discussed and by understanding the impact of trauma on health, it is hoped that enhancement of resilience is possible. Based on the identification of protective factors at the individual, familial, and community level, examples of interventions that encourage safe, stable, and nurturing relationships between parents and children are described.Key Words: Childhood; Adversities; Intimate partner violence; Intersection; Trauma; Health; Resilience. lifespan. An important finding of the ACE study and subsequent studies 7,[12][13][14][15] is that children who have been exposed to one trauma are more likely to be exposed to multiple traumas and this phenomenon has been termed polyvictimization. 16) Polyvictimization is important to consider because poly-victims often have worse health and symptomatology than victims exposed to only one form of trauma. 17) Other researchers have conceptualized this exposure as cumulative trauma pointing out that not only is there trauma from exposure to violence throughout childhood and adolescence but especially for those in marginalized racial/ethnic, religious, and gender identity/sexual preference groups where there is also exposure to structural racism, micro-aggressions and historical trauma. 18) The more cumulative trauma, the more profound the effects on health. Table 1 shows the prevalence of ACEs and Table 2 shows the ACE score in selected studies from the US and from countries around the world. 7,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] Although the studies had some differences in methodologies and ACE questions, there are some notable comparisons. The highest incidences of ACEs are found in the following countries: Sri Lankan men 28) had the highest incidences of childhood physical abuse (59.3%), childhood sexual abuse (27.2%), childhood physical neglect (37.9%); nearly tied with Albania 25) for witnessing domestic violence against the female caregiver (30% Albania, 29.3% Sri Lanka men); and had the highest prevalence of an ACE score of >4 ACEs (31.4%). The Philippines had the highest incidence of a caregiver abusing substances (drug abuse 7.5%; alcohol abuse 36.2%). 26) The US had the highest incidence of children exposed to caregivers with mental illness (19.4%). 7,19,20) Latvia (42.3%) 22) and Brazil (42%) 24) had the highest incidence of children exposed to parental separation. These comparisons illustrate the common theme of the ubiquity of trauma exposure for children worldwide.The ACE study and a plethora of subsequent studies, both in the US and worldwide, have linked adversity in childhood to organic diseases later in life. When c...

The relationship between parental adverse childhood experiences and the health, well-being and development outcomes of their children: a systematic review

“…Reported prevalence of ACEs varies but approximately one-quarter of people report exposure to one to three ACEs, and around 10% report four or more 8 . Prevalence varies according to classification.…”

Evaluating interventions with victims of intimate partner violence: a community psychology approach

“…Women experience increased risk of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder [ 11 , 32 , 35 ], and reduced confidence in parenting skills (i.e., lack of emotional support for their children and responding adequately to their needs, [ 26 ]). Witnessing IPV has immediate and long-lasting detrimental effects also on children, including anxiety, depression, and psychosocial problems [ 6 , 13 , 14 , 22 ].…”

The relationship of childhood maltreatment to deviant behaviours among young Iraqi adults: A cross sectional study

“…Studies revealed that the central nervous system could be changed in response to severe external impulses leaving neuronal damage, which provides the evidence of a correlation between stressful events during childhood and later abnormal behaviours (Franchek et al, 2017). The exposure to traumatic events in childhood may have residual effects of brain development (Bremner, 2006;World Health Organization, 2019).…”

“…The effects of childhood maltreatment on adult's physical and mental health have been widely addressed mainly in high-income countries (Franchek-Roa et al, 2017). Literature review shows that the exposure to stressful events during childhood has prolonged effects and may continue through the life span and is associated with high-risk of psychopathology during adulthood (McLaughlin & Lambert, 2017; Moffitt & Klaus-Grawe, 2013).…”