Children exposed to intimate partner violence [electronic resource] : exploring factors that promote resiliency /

by Foley, Kimberly P.

Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: Exploring Factors that Promote Resiliency Kimberly P. Foley, MA An estimated 3.3 (Carlson, 1984) to 10 million (Straus, 1992) children are exposed to intimate partner violence per year. Exposure to IPV has been shown to have a profound impact upon children’s cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning. Until recently, the majority of research examining children’s experiences of IPV approached the field from a deficits perspective; choosing to examine the negative impacts IPV had upon children. This study instead explored the effects of IPV upon children from a resiliency perspective; choosing to examine the adaptive functioning children displayed despite experiencing this trauma. This study explored previously identified constructs such as maternal psychopathology, maternal severity of IPV, child proximity to IPV, family support, and the parent-child relationship upon behavior problems and adaptive functioning in children. Results demonstrated a multitude of factors that were related to child resiliency and offered insight regarding possible treatments for women, children, and families who have experienced IPV. Limitations, implications, and future directions are also elucidated. Factors That Promote Resiliency iii