Relations Among Intimate Partner Violence, Maternal Depressive Symptoms, and Maternal Parenting Behaviors

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is prevalent in families with young children and challenges their healthy development. This study examined characteristics of IPV (e.g., mother- vs. partner-perpetrated, types and severity) and investigated potential effects of IPV on toddlers' behavioral regulation in a sample of families at risk for IPV. We also examined whether maternal depression and child-rearing attitudes and behavior would moderate IPV-child behavior links. These questions were addressed in a sample ( N = 400) of first-time adolescent mothers and their toddlers (1-2 years of age). Families were visited in their homes; data were collected via maternal report and observations. Partner- and self-perpetrated IPV was assessed using the Conflict Tactics Scale questionnaire; child behavior regulation was measured using the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment questionnaire. Approximately 80% of families experienced psychological aggression; almost one third reported physical assault in the past year. Both physical and psychological IPV were associated with greater toddler behavior problems. Neither maternal depression, mothers' attitudes about corporal punishment, nor nonhostile interaction moderated IPV-behavior problem links, though mothers' reports of maltreating behavior did. Among children whose mothers did not use corporal punishment/physical violence, IPV did not differentially affect behavior problems. Children whose mothers used corporal punishment/physical violence with them showed behavior problems in the context of IPV (severe psychological aggression). Results underscore the importance of exposure to IPV during the first year of life, and the prevalence of IPV perpetrated by both mothers and their partners in families with adolescent mothers.

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“…Caregivers may be preoccupied, may disengage from active caregiving, or may show intrusive or harsh parenting behavior (Gustafsson & Cox, 2012).…”

Section: Characteristics Of Ipvmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intimate Partner Violence in the First 2 Years of Life: Implications for Toddlers’ Behavior Regulation

Easterbrooks

Katz

Kotake

et al. 2015

J Interpers Violence

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“…Whitaker, Haileyesus, Swahn, and Saltzman (2007) analyzing the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) found that women comprised 70% of perpetrators reporting nonreciprocal violence. Moreover, perpetration and victimization were correlated in many community studies (e.g., Caetano et al, 2008; Gustafsson and Cox, 2012; Jennings et al, 2012; Rhodes et al, 2009) demonstrating that much violence is bidirectional. Prior findings from the fourth interview of the TARS data (Alvira-Hammond et al, in press), for example, were consistent with those from other community studies (e.g., Jennings et al, 2012) in that nearly half (49%) of respondents who reported a physical altercation with a partner indicated that it was bidirectional, versus 19% who reported perpetration only and 32% who reported victimization only.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Intimate partner victimization, poor relationship quality, and depressive symptoms during young adulthood

Longmore

Manning

Giordano

et al. 2014

Social Science Research

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Examining longitudinal data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS) (n = 927), we assessed associations between physical victimization by an intimate partner, indicators of poor relationship quality, and depressive symptoms among young adult men and women in casually dating, exclusively dating, cohabiting, and marital relationships. In zero-order models, we found that physical victimization increased depressive symptoms. In multivariate models, victimization was a risk factor for depressive symptoms with the inclusion of prior depressive symptoms, family factors reflecting the intergenerational transmission of violence, sociodemographic background, and relationship characteristics including union status. Yet with the additional inclusion of indicators of poor relational quality, victimization was not a significant predictor of depressive symptoms. Arguing and poor communication influenced victimization and depressive symptoms. The associations between victimization and depressive symptoms did not differ by gender, nor were the effects of poor relationship quality on depressive symptoms conditional on gender. Thus, depressive symptoms are similarly responsive to intimate partner victimization, and for both women and men these associations were not significant with the inclusion of indicators of poor relationship quality. Findings underscored that victimization often occurs within relationship contexts characterized by a range of negative dynamics; thus multifaceted relationship-centered prevention and intervention efforts are likely to be more useful than those focusing only on negative messages about the use of aggression with an intimate partner.

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“…In addition, IPV is associated with increases in maternal depressive symptoms (Gustafsson and Cox 2012) and often escalates around the time of pregnancy and birth (Campbell 2002). The FFCWS contains several measures of IPV; however, these measures tend to be worded in such a way that it is difficult to ascertain whether reports of IPV refer to past incidents or current, ongoing episodes of violence.…”

Section: Intimate Partner Violencementioning

confidence: 99%

Stress and Maternal Postpartum Depression: The Importance of Stress Type and Timing

Reid

Taylor

2015

Popul Res Policy Rev

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Interest in identifying social risk factors for maternal postpartum depression has increased, with a growing emphasis placed on stress exposure. Despite increased interest, questions about the importance of lifetime stress exposure relative to stress surrounding childbirth, along with the importance of different types of stressful events, remain unanswered. The stress process model has gained prominence as a guiding framework for examining stress type and timing in studies of major depression and poor pregnancy outcomes, suggesting that this framework has the potential to advance our understanding of the relationship between stress exposure and depressive symptoms in postpartum women. Using in-person interviews and medical record data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study (N = 4362), we draw on a stress process framework to examine: (1) whether lifetime acute stress exposure prior to pregnancy and birth is a risk factor for postpartum depression net of more proximate acute stressors occurring after pregnancy and birth, and (2) which types of stress (acute, chronic) are most salient for this outcome. Our results show that both acute stressors and chronic strains are independently associated with postpartum depression and acute stressors occurring prior to pregnancy and birth have long-lasting effects on postpartum mental health even when more proximate acute stressors are considered. Our findings underscore the need to more fully capture stressors and strains occurring throughout a woman's life course with regard to postpartum depression, and suggest the importance of rooting postpartum research and screening in a stress process framework.

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Relations Among Intimate Partner Violence, Maternal Depressive Symptoms, and Maternal Parenting Behaviors

Cited by 64 publications

References 71 publications

Intimate Partner Violence in the First 2 Years of Life: Implications for Toddlers’ Behavior Regulation

Intimate Partner Violence in the First 2 Years of Life: Implications for Toddlers’ Behavior Regulation

Intimate partner victimization, poor relationship quality, and depressive symptoms during young adulthood

Stress and Maternal Postpartum Depression: The Importance of Stress Type and Timing

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