Policymakers are increasingly focusing on children exposed to domestic violence. The 1999 Minnesota legislature amended the definition of child neglect to include a child's exposure to family violence. What was initially seen as a simple change to bring more attention to children exposed to domestic violence resulted in great turmoil across…

Reviews the research on the effects of family violence on the psychological/behavioral adjustment of children in shelters for battered women. Offers several recommendations based on this research for serving preschool and school-age children residing in these shelters. (BB)

Describes and analyzes trends in service delivery by community-based organizations to children affected by domestic violence. Concludes that substantial segments of the population are not reached, and that most organizations do not have a sufficient range of services to meet children's needs. Outlines challenges faced by current intervention…

Describes theoretical frameworks, including two public health models, that can inform the future development of domestic violence prevention strategies. Provides examples of innovative prevention strategies currently being implemented across the United States and discusses results from evaluations. (SLD)

The current study extended previous research with adults and boys to girls in the juvenile justice system (N = 122; M = 16.7; SD = 1.3). Using a longitudinal research design, neighborhood disadvantage and exposure to violence (i.e., physical abuse by parents, physical abuse by peers, and witnessing violence) were assessed during incarceration.…

There is growing concern about the increasing number of children in the USA who are exposed to community violence and the need to remove some of them from their families. This study examines risk factors for out-of-home placement among a large pool of children and adolescents who were referred for general clinical assessment following exposure to…

Objective: The main aim of this study was to examine the age-dependent remission from ADHD in girls transitioning through childhood into adolescence and early adulthood. Method: We conducted a 5-year prospective follow-up study of 123 girls with ADHD and 106 non-ADHD control girls aged between 6 and 17 years at ascertainment. ADHD was considered…

Presents case report of two children who observed their mother being murdered by their father. Notes that theories of psychosocial development and social learning guided assessment and intervention phases. Delineates behavioral and expressive therapeutic treatment strategies that helped children work through resultant anxiety and underlying grief.…

Notes growing interest in children with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and suspicion that rise in family violence, violence in schools, and other stressors may lead to characteristic PTSD symptoms of reexperiencing trauma, psychological numbing, and increased states of arousal. Examines characteristics of childhood PTSD and its causes.…

Compares mothers whose children had been under supervision of Child Protective Services (CPS) with comparison mothers for child abuse potential using Millner's Child Abuse Potential Inventory. CPS mothers scored significantly higher than the comparison mothers, indicating their persistent elevated child abuse potential; there was no significant…

Presents an overview of the extent of children's exposure to various types of violence, and then examines what is known about the effects of this exposure across the developmental continuum. Examines key protective factors for children exposed to violence, the most important of which is a strong relationship with a competent, caring, positive…

Describes the roles of Child Protective Services (CPS) and domestic violence service programs in responding to child abuse and domestic violence and presents results of a national survey completed by 40 state CPS administrators and 26 directors of domestic violence coalitions about system responses to these two forms of violence. Describes…

Drawing from social learning theories and symbolic interactionist understandings of social life, the authors suggest that physical punishment teaches aggressive and controlling strategies for solving the problems of living together and hinders the development of important problem-solving skills, specifically the ability to role take with others.…

Human Options is a non-profit social service agency in Orange County, California which provides services for battered women and their families. This study: assessed the outcomes for graduates of its programs; obtained consumer evaluations of the agency's services; measured the needs for aftercare services; and assessed how the children of program…

Discusses the limitations of current databases documenting the prevalence and effects of child exposure to domestic violence and describes a model for the collection of reliable and valid prevalence data, the Spousal Assault Replication Program, which uses data collected by the police and university researchers. (SLD)