Children's exposure to intimate partner violence: Should sexual coercion be considered?

Abstract

This study examined whether male-perpetrated sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) directed at a child's mother is associated with children's adjustment problems and if sexual IPV increases risk for children's adjustment problems over and above the risk associated with physical IPV alone. Participants were a community sample of 539 mothers and their children (age 7-10 years). Mothers and children reported on children's externalizing and internalizing problems. Mothers reported on recent male-perpetrated physical and sexual IPV and on their own psychological distress (depressive symptoms, relationship dissatisfaction). Four groups were formed on the basis of mothers' reports of IPV: nonviolent, physical only, sexual only, and sexual + physical. Children in the physical-only, sexual-only, and sexual + physical groups exhibited greater levels of externalizing problems than did children in the nonviolent group. Levels of externalizing problems among children in the physical-only and sexual-only groups did not differ. Including sexual IPV in the conceptualization of children's exposure to IPV may offer a more comprehensive understanding of how children are affected by IPV. (PsycINFO Database Record