Domestic violence may raise kids' abuse risk

[yhiannah]

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news ... 72179.html (*this news item will not be available after 12/28/2008)

Friday, November 28, 2008

By Joene Hendry

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Mothers who experience violence or aggression at the hands of an intimate partner are at greater risk for maltreating their children than mothers who do not experience intimate partner abuse.

Intimate partner aggression and violence "impacts the whole family, raising health risks for children in the home as well as adult victims," Dr. Catherine A. Taylor told Reuters Health.

Moreover, the presence of intimate partner aggression and violence appears to confer a unique burden of maltreatment risk to children, Taylor, of Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, in New Orleans, Louisiana, and colleagues have found.

Taylor's group assessed reports of intimate partner aggression/violence, parenting stress, major depression, and indicators of mother-to-child maltreatment among 2,508 mothers who participated in the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study.

About 40 percent of the women said they experienced aggression or violent acts, such as hitting, kicking, insults, isolation, or forced sexual acts, with their current partner, the investigators report in the American Journal of Public Health.

They also report that mothers who suffered intimate partner violence, compared with mothers who did not, used psychological and physical aggression against their children more frequently and had higher odds of spanking their children and of reporting at least one instance of neglect toward their children.

Mothers' parenting stress and presence of depression did not explain the associations between intimate partner aggression/violence and child maltreatment, Taylor said, even though both parenting stress and mothers' depression can result from partner violence and increase child maltreatment risk.

She and colleagues suggest child welfare agencies integrate partner aggression/violence interventions into child protection programs.

Taylor also calls for further research "to better assess the overlapping risk of intimate partner violence and child maltreatment for both parents, not just mothers."

SOURCE: American Journal of Public Health, January 2009

[Emilia]

I actually agree with the article at some points.

My mother was abused by her mother physically and mentally after her father died p after that she let her first husband abuse her mentally and after that her 2nd husband abused us all (this is the man that I should call dad) she didn´t know how to deal with and she didn´t know what to expect really from men, so she let herself be the victim in a way. She managed to deal with most of her experiences in a positive way but she never got any help for the latest issues involving her 2 husbands. I was abused but fortunately I got help on time so I don´t undersign the statement that some people make that it is automatic that if you´ve been abused than you will be the one to abuse.. I believe that you are able to deal with these experiences and get through them with sufficient help and that is a thing that experts should REALLY pay attention to.. but then again it´s hard to start and process the painful experiences if you aren´t ready to let go and let yourself heal.. does this make any sense at all?

[yhiannah]

Yes, Emilia, it does. Welcome to Broken Child, we are glad to have you!

[reenea1]

Hi, I am absolutley thrilled to find this website. I am in the process of adopting two boys who have been in my home over a year now. They were very abused, mentally, physically, and sexually. They are doing quite well however I see my 15 year old beginning to repeat a pattern of abuse with his female friends, girlfriend, and even his brother. He also recognizes the pattern and wants help. His only request has been a male counselor. I have taken him to two different psychiatrists but they just want to stick him on medication and see him in 30 days. All the other counselors don't want to take on some one with his issues. I am desperately seeking help. If any one has any info please let me know. I am in Leflore County, OK.
Thanks a bunch,
Reenea'

[yhiannah]

Welcome Reenea! We are glad to have you join us! Please let us know how we can help. I responded to your post under the "Looking for Help" forum.