Fathers, mothers and family violence: Which risk factors contribute to the occurrence of child maltreatment and exposure to intimate partner violence in early childhood? Findings in a German longitudinal in-depth study

Christoph Liel; Andreas Eickhorst; Peter Zimmermann; Mark Stemmler; Sabine Walper

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105373

Fathers, mothers and family violence: Which risk factors contribute to the occurrence of child maltreatment and exposure to intimate partner violence in early childhood? Findings in a German longitudinal in-depth study

Child Abuse Negl. 2022 Jan:123:105373. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105373. Epub 2021 Nov 19.

Authors

Christoph Liel¹, Andreas Eickhorst², Peter Zimmermann³, Mark Stemmler⁴, Sabine Walper⁵

Affiliations

¹ National Centre for Early Prevention, German Youth Institute, Department of Families and Family Policies, Munich, Germany. Electronic address: liel@dji.de.
² National Centre for Early Prevention, German Youth Institute, Department of Families and Family Policies, Munich, Germany.
³ University of Wuppertal, Department of Developmental Psychology, Wuppertal, Germany.
⁴ Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Department of Psychology, Erlangen, Germany.
⁵ National Centre for Early Prevention, German Youth Institute, Department of Families and Family Policies, Munich, Germany; Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Munich, Germany.

PMID: 34801847
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105373

Abstract

Background: Family violence, especially child maltreatment and intimate partner violence, in early childhood has a strong impact on negative developmental outcomes. There is evidence of child, parental, and family risk factors. Less is known about paternal than maternal risk factors.

Objective: To identify maternal and paternal predictors of family violence and predictive constellations of risk factors.

Participants and setting: According to psychosocial adversity in a larger study, families were stratified into low-, medium- and high-risk groups. Both, mothers and fathers (n = 197/191), were investigated longitudinally across seven months using self-report questionnaires and ratings of the IFEEL Pictures.

Methods: χ²-tests, logistic regression models, and prediction configural frequency analysis (P-CFA) were employed.

Results: Univariate predictors (p < .05) were anxiety and stress in mothers, and insensitivity in recognizing negative child emotions in fathers. Within high-risk levels, paternal adverse childhood experiences (ACE) were a predictor (z = 2.92, p > .01), proven by P-CFA. Logistic regression models including family violence at baseline, sociodemographic variables, univariate predictors, and ACE of both parents revealed maternal anxiety (OR = 1.22, p < .05) and low paternal recognition of negative IFEEL Pictures (OR = 6.00, p < .05) as predictors. P-CFA identified socioemotional problems in children and low paternal recognition of negative child emotions as a predictive risk constellation (z = 2.58, p > .01).

Conclusion: Analysis of both caregivers in small population samples with oversampled at-risk families leads to a systemic perspective of family violence. The identified risk constellation is highly relevant for early childhood intervention.

Keywords: Child maltreatment; Early childhood; Fathers; Intimate partner violence; Mothers; Risk factors.

MeSH terms

Child
Child Abuse* / psychology
Child, Preschool
Domestic Violence*
Fathers / psychology
Female
Humans
Intimate Partner Violence* / psychology
Male
Mothers / psychology
Risk Factors