Psychological complications of the children exposed to domestic violence: a systematic review

Abstract

Background Domestic violence (DV) is one of the major concerning health problems worldwide, and individuals who experienced domestic violence, may suffer physical or psychological consequences. Main body Children as a major part of the family and society are usually involved in familial challenging events such as domestic violence, and suffer several major complications. This review aimed to explore the psychological consequences of child exposure to domestic violence. A systematic search in four databases yielded 18 peer-reviewed original studies that met the inclusion criteria. Selected studies highlighted the psychological consequences of domestic violence in witnessing and exposed children. The findings of the present study revealed that children exposed to DV suffer various psychological, mental, and behavioral complications which may be short and long-lasting, and moderate or severe. Children exposed to domestic violence may show declined educational performance and social abilities. Internalization problems, depression, post-traumatic stress disorders symptoms, and externalization symptoms such as aggressive behaviors and even lower levels of IQ are of most important reported complications of domestic violence in children. Educational programs for parents as well as trained school caregivers and health policy-makers can diminish and prevent the complications of domestic violence in children. Conclusion Considering the importance of children mental hygiene, health policymakers should consider facilities to screen and detect children with signs of maltreatment and exposed to domestic violence. In this regard, trained teachers or school counselors will be helpful, as social supports and therapies may be more effective by early detection affairs.

Beyond abuse and neglect: validation of the childhood interpersonal trauma inventory in a community sample of adults

“…Parentification or role reversal has been associated with persisting negative effects on social-emotional development ( 34 ) and internalized and externalized behaviors ( 35 ), and seems to mimic some effects of parental neglect. Similar findings were found for other types of interpersonal traumas such as witnessing intimate partner violence ( 36 ), living with a parent having a substance-use disorder ( 37 ) or who attempt suicide ( 38 ), parental alienation ( 39 , 40 ) and parental overprotection-overcontrol ( 41 ). Indeed, these experiences share many similarities with abuse or neglect in terms of their age of onset, chronicity, repercussions, and most importantly the fact that they involve the failure of significant others to provide children with a safe environment and to respond adequately to their needs.…”

“…This has recently led Teicher, Gordon and Nemeroff ( 19 ) to formulate a set of recommendations to leverage science and practice, including investigating for childhood trauma in clinical practice when assessing or treating patients with mental health issues, introducing a maltreatment-related subtype into diagnostic nosology, and considering childhood trauma as a key variable in clinical trials and basic research on the biological basis of psychiatric disorders. Accordingly, while it is important to recognize that screening for childhood trauma in primary care settings could be ineffective and even detrimental ( 20 , 21 ) when it is not implemented cautiously using a trauma-informed framework ( 22 ), the science is clear that childhood trauma cannot be overlooked and needs to be considered by clinicians and researchers in order to adjust interventions and accelerate discoveries ( 19 , 23 – 36 ).…”

Disentangling the trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms and partnership problems in the transition to parenthood and their impact on child adjustment difficulties

“…At the same time, this indicates that childhood adjustment difficulties are not merely determined by exposure to maternal PND symptoms and partnership problems in early childhood. Multiple other bio-psycho-social factors such as experienced parenting (Pinquart, 2021), exposure to violence (Doroudchi et al, 2023), hormonal and biological changes (Cicchetti & Handley, 2017;Meyer et al, 2009) or socioeconomic status (Peverill et al, 2021) contribute to the development of child adjustment difficulties and may function as risk or protective factors. Nonetheless the presented results are clinically relevant as they noticeably illustrate how risk factors can accumulate in affected families: Prenatally depressed women are at risk for persistence of symptoms (Rogers et al, 2020).…”

Percepções de conselheiros tutelares frente às situações de violência contra crianças e adolescentes

“…The child may show school deficits and impairment in social activities, depression, post-traumatic stress and aggression. In this way, it points to educational programs for parents, and the qualification of political managers and those working in education, in order to reduce and prevent the consequences of domestic violence on children 25 . It is considered that all professionals involved in situations of violence against children need targeted training and constant qualifications, due to the complexity surrounding this issue and the consequences it has on children's lives.…”