Violence and Childhood Development

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a serious type of relational violence that has massive impacts on the psychological, emotional, behavior, and social development of children. Research by Elizabeth M. Westrupp and others (2017) examines how exposure to intimate parental aggression leads to a higher risk of preadolescence mental illness. They focus on how both one-time and repeated exposure to partner aggression negatively impacts children’s mental development.  Mathew M. Yalch and others (2016) use the Bayesian approach to multiple aggressions to examine prenatal and post-birth intimate partner aggression and the impact it has on children’s psychopathology. While each study focuses on different ages of childhood development, they both share the common argument of how IPV negatively impacts the mental development of children exposed to it.

Violence and Childhood Development

Introduction

Dissociation, as a result of IPV, has adverse effects on children’s psychological functioning, emotional wellbeing, behavior, and social development. According to the study by Yalch et al. (2016), IPV is linked to posttraumatic stress disorder and other dissociative symptoms among children who witness it. In Westrupp et al. (2017) work, the authors argued that verbal and inter-parental conflicts result in internalizing and eternalizing effects on children who experience it. Such children are prone to psychopathology in the future. This paper explores two studies by Westrupp et al. (2017) and that of Yalch et al. (2016). From the two works, it is evident that intimate partner violence exposes children to psychological, emotional, behavior, and social development issues.

In the study that Westrupp et al. (2017) took, the main aim was to investigate the association that inter-parent conflicts have on children on a single occasion and repeated conflicts throughout their development. From the study, it was evident that inter-parental conflicts have to internalize and externalizing issues on children at 10 to 11 years. Most of the children showed adverse effects on their mental health. On the other hand, Yalch et al. (2016) work provided further evidence that IPV plays a great role in child development. In adolescents, IPV leads to psychopathology, among other issues. The study examined the impacts of IPV on a child’s psychological functioning.  The authors noted that IPV had different effects on child stages of development. The study examined the IPV effects on prenatal, post-birth, and among the preschool children who showed dissociative symptoms.

Yalch et al. (2016) used the Bayesian approach to multiple aggressions. In this theory, the probability of the outcomes is based on past knowledge concerning the event. The study hypothesized that prenatal and postnatal intimate partner violence exerts independent impacts on dissociative symptoms and processes.  In Westrupp et al. (2017) work, the regression model was used. In this case, the relationship between the independent and the dependent variables was examined. The study concluded that there was a correlation between IPV and children’s mental health.  In this study, the effects of IPV were measured at four different points, including 0-1, 2-3, 4-5, and 6-7 years. In this case, measuring the impact, IPV had on a child’s development was done through the use argumentative relationship scale.

Westrupp et al. (2017) work did a study of 3696 children and mothers. In this study, the biological and step/adoptive mothers were involved in cases where they were responding as the parent of the index child. The effects of verbal and physical conflict of the parents were measured in four main groups including children between 0-1 (n=5107), 2-3 (90% retention), 4-5 (86%) and 6-7 (82%), 8-9 (80%), and 10-11 years (74%). In conducting the study, the authors selected a sample from the 2004 Australian universal Health Database.  The two-stage cluster sampling design was used where face-to-face interviews and questionnaires were utilized. In Yalch et al. (2016) work, a sample of 156 mother-child dyads was used.  However, 13 participants terminated their research prematurely, and hence the correct research sample was 143 dyads. The recruitment of the participants was done through Flyers at Head Start Facilities and recruitment events. In this case, it was a community type of recruitment. The children participants were ages 3-5 years and without any developmental delays.

In Westrupp et al. (2017) study, the data was collected biennially. The two methods that were used in this study include interviews and questionnaires. On the other hand, Yalch et al. (2016) work used the mother-child dyads. For these participants, they spent approximately 2 hours in a laboratory doing assessments. Additionally, they attended an in-person interview—the two articles related to Arnett (2016) in terms of the onset of psychopathology. According to Arnett, psychopathology begins early in life, as illustrated in Westrupp et al. (2017) and Yalch et al. (2016) work.

The study by Westrupp et al. (2017) found out that children were adversely affected by both physical and verbal IPV. The major effects on the same include mental issues. The finding highlighted the importance of greater attention to the impacts of family conflict on children’s health. The study can harshly help families going through physical and verbal conflicts. The authors, in this study, concluded that inter-parental conflict has adverse impacts on children at different age groups. Yalch et al. (2016) work found out that prenatal IPV, among other negative experiences, correlated to dissociative symptoms in children. It also resulted in mothers’ posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. In this case, IPV has adverse impacts, even in the unborn child.  Yalch et al. (2016) work conclude that IV affects children in both the prenatal and postnatal stages.

Examining the two works shows various strengths and a few weaknesses here and there. Examining Westrupp et al. (2017) work, one realizes that at the beginning, the authors state the purpose of the study and explore the topic in-depth to attain it. At the end of the study, the authors present their findings clearly and concisely. The work has also engaged many peer-reviewed journal articles that were done earlier to illustrate the concept. For instance, the authors used a study by Glascoe (2010) to explain how parental behaviors have effects on young children’s development.  For instance, parental warmth, involvement as well as irritability have major impacts on child outcomes, as Glascoe (2010) explains.  The study finding also links back to the literature review. When it comes to the instrumentation, the authors effectively used the study instruments that included Argumentative Relationship Scale, Co-Parental Communication Scale, Child Dissociative Checklist, Revised Conflict Tactics Scales, and Modified PTSD Symptom Scale among others. One of the study’s weaknesses is the fact that the authors never clearly stated the hypothesis. A testable prediction assists the study in developing a specific direction as well as a good understanding of the subject matter.

On examining Yalch et al. (2016) work, the keywords were first laid out, which gives the reader the study concept. Additionally, an abstract which the work offered gives the reader a preview of the full article but in a concise form. Similar to Westrupp et al. (2017) work, Yalch et al. (2016) use many peer-reviewed articles to explore their topic. The descriptions of the instruments used from participants’ selection to measuring the effects of IPV in children are well illustrated.  The variables are also well stated and assist in answering the research question.  On examining the literature review that the authors conducted, it is logically organized. Also, it tends to offer a balanced critical analysis that assists the reader in knowing what has done in the past and the weaknesses the past studies had regarding the topic. Unlike in Westrupp et al. (2017), where the hypothesis was not clearly stated, Yalch et al. (2016) had a hypothesis. They argued that prenatal and post-birth IPV have autonomous impacts on dissociative symptoms. Overall, the two articles’ evidence is clearly illustrated and convincing. Inter-parental conflicts have adverse impacts on children’s development, that includes mental health issues.

Reference

Arnett, J.J. (2016). Human Development: A Cultural Approach (2^nd Ed.): Pearson.

Westrupp, E., Brown, S., Woolhouse, H., Gartland, D., & Nicholson, J. (2017). Repeated Early-Life Exposure To Inter-Parental Conflict Increases Risk Of Preadolescent Mental Health Problems. European Journal of Pediatrics, 177(3), 419-427. https://doi-org.proxy.seattleu.edu/10.1080/10926771.2016.1194937

Yalch, M., Black, J., Martin, L., & Levendosky, A. (2016). Effects of Prenatal and Postbirth Intimate Partner Violence on Preschool-Age Children’s Dissociative Symptoms. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 25(7), 741-752. Doi: 10.1080/10926771.2016.1194937