Search

The quality of adolescent dating relationships is an outcome of developmental importance for young people exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) in childhood. As adolescents explore romantic interests for the first time, it is important to consider whether youth who have witnessed IPV have an increased likelihood of adolescent dating violence (ADV) victimization and/or perpetration. This systematic review seeks to synthesize empirical literature on ADV victimization and perpetration outcomes in youth exposed to IPV, examine mechanisms that may explain ADV outcomes in IPV-exposed youth, and summarize methodological factors that influence interpretation of findings. Seven bibliographic databases were searched through August 2020 for a broader evidence and gap mapping (EGM) project examining published empirical studies on child outcomes of IPV exposure. Following de-duplication, 350 empirical studies on child IPV exposure outcomes were identified and categorized into child outcome themes, including 29 studies that examine ADV victimization and/or perpetration among IPV-exposed youth. The association between IPV exposure and ADV perpetration and victimization varies widely, with factors such as gender, mental health symptoms, beliefs about violence, and emotion regulation differentially influencing outcomes. Inconsistencies in measurement of IPV, ADV, and sample ages make cross-study comparisons challenging. Practice and research implications are addressed, including the importance of examining strengths-based youth assets and resilient trajectories of healthy dating relationships among IPV-exposed youth., Author(s): Kylie E. Evans [sup.1] , Hyunjune Lee [sup.1] , Katie N. Russell [sup.1] , Megan R. Holmes [sup.1] , Kristen A. Berg [sup.1] [sup.2] , Anna E. Bender [sup.1] [...]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure threatens healthy child development by compromising outcomes across a range of domains including academic functioning. However, research suggests variability in the strength and nature of the association between IPV exposure and academic functioning, and the extent to which it varies by different academic outcomes and co-occurring risk factors (e.g., child maltreatment). This systematic review seeks to clarify the relation between IPV exposure and academic functioning by distilling overall outcome trends and critically assessing the existing literature's strengths and limitations. Seven databases were searched to identify relevant articles published through August 2020. Studies were included if (a) at least 80% of the sample were from birth to 18 years of age; (b) valid tools were used to measure outcome variables, and (c) outcomes of children exposed to IPV were compared with children who experienced other forms of violence and/or no violence exposure. After screening, the review yielded 13 articles examining academic functioning. The majority (76.9%, n = 10) of the studies found a negative association between IPV exposure and academic functioning, but results varied among subdomains of academic functioning (subjective performance, objective performance, and conduct). Findings from several studies indicate that the combined experience of IPV exposure and maltreatment negatively affects academic functioning. Results highlight the need for: 1) additional research examining IPV exposure and academic functioning 2) early detection of IPV-exposed children, and 3) the development and implementation of evidence-based interventions to support academic functioning., Author(s): Jamie Cage [sup.1] , Julia M. Kobulsky [sup.2] , Sherise J. McKinney [sup.3] , Megan R. Holmes [sup.4] , Kristen A. Berg [sup.4] [sup.5] , Anna E. Bender [sup.4] [...]

Both in the United States and across the world, intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread social problem. It often occurs in households with children, and IPV exposure during childhood is associated with negative sequelae across developmental domains. This systematic review synthesizes the literature on the effects of IPV exposure on social-emotional competence (i.e., social competence, empathy, emotion regulation) from infancy through late adolescence. Seven bibliographic software databases were searched for relevant citations up to August 2020, and a total of 15,354 citations were identified after deduplication. Following a screening process by two research assistants, 381 citations were included in a broader Evidence and Gap Map. Data extraction was completed for included citations, and all were coded into child outcome categories and subcategories. Twenty-six studies examined social-emotional competence. Across studies examining social competence, a majority found that IPV-exposed children demonstrated lower levels of social competence and emotional regulation than a comparison group. Limited evidence was found to indicate that IPV-exposed children also exhibited fewer empathic skills compared with non-exposed peers. Social-emotional competence was additionally identified to significantly mediate and/or moderate the association between IPV exposure and other outcomes (e.g., aggressive behaviors, psychological distress), underscoring that social-emotional competence may be a malleable factor that could promote resilience among children exposed to IPV. These findings highlight the need to further explore the associations between social-emotional competence and other child adjustment outcomes, and develop and implement programming to foster social-emotional competence among IPV-exposed children., Author(s): Anna E. Bender [sup.1] , Sherise J. McKinney [sup.2] , Megan M. Schmidt-Sane [sup.3] , Jamie Cage [sup.4] , Megan R. Holmes [sup.1] , Kristen A. Berg [sup.1] [sup.5] [...]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure continues to be a pervasive problem for children. Although the impact of IPV exposure on children's mental health has been well-documented, the impact of IPV exposure on children's physical health, as well as families' engagement with the medical system for their children's physical health needs (e.g., contact with primary care pediatricians, emergency room visits) remains under-studied. The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize quantitative studies examining the association between IPV exposure and (a) medical system engagement and (b) physical health outcomes, and to examine methodological factors that may influence findings. A systematic review was conducted using seven electronic bibliographic databases to identify research examining outcomes of IPV-exposed children up to August of 2020. Citations were coded by two independent researchers to determine inclusion and exclusion, and then coded again to identify studies examining medical system engagement and physical health outcomes. A total of 31 citations were included. Consistent results were found across studies in that, compared with non-exposed children, IPV-exposed children were less likely to be up to date on immunizations, had an increased rate of emergency room visits, had more contact with primary care pediatricians, were more likely to have an increased risk of poor lung functioning, obesity, and nutritional deficiencies, and reported more general physical health problems. In addition to further research in this area, this study identifies the need for training healthcare providers to implement consistent IPV screening and provide IPV-exposed children and families with referrals to trauma-informed, community-based interventions., Author(s): Megan R. Holmes [sup.1] , Kristen A. Berg [sup.1] [sup.2] , Anna E. Bender [sup.1] , Kylie E. Evans [sup.1] , Julia M. Kobulsky [sup.3] , Alexis P. Davis [...]

Author(s): Megan R. Holmes [sup.1] , Kristen A. Berg [sup.1] [sup.2] , Anna E. Bender [sup.1] , Kylie E. Evans [sup.1] , Kari O'Donnell [sup.1] , Emily K. Miller [sup.1] [...]

Among children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV), their appraisals and beliefs about IPV have been identified as key cognitive factors that may explain the linkage between IPV exposure and other adjustment outcomes. Grounded in the cognitive-contextual framework, this systematic review summarizes empirical studies examining child IPV exposure, acceptance of IPV, and appraisals of IPV, including perceived threat, self-blame attributions, and coping efficacy. This study is part of a broader evidence and gap map (EGM) that systematically searched seven databases for quantitative studies examining the effects of IPV exposure on all potential child outcomes. Studies were screened and coded for inclusion if they focused on IPV-exposed children 17 years and younger, used a validated or reliable scale to measure child outcomes, and utilized a comparison group. This review examined a subset of 13 studies measuring children's acceptance and/or appraisals of IPV. Findings suggest that children exposed to IPV tend to have stronger beliefs that the use of violence in intimate relationships is acceptable, with important implications for adolescent dating violence. Additionally, children's appraisals of threat and self-blame regarding their parents' IPV acted as a key variable for understanding links between children's IPV exposure and outcomes such as internalizing problems, social anxiety, and self-efficacy. Few studies examined coping efficacy. This review highlights the importance of children's acceptance and appraisals of IPV as an outcome of IPV exposure, and as an intervening factor between IPV exposure and other adjustment outcomes. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed., Author(s): Kylie E. Evans [sup.1] , Megan M. Schmidt-Sane [sup.2] , Anna E. Bender [sup.1] , Kristen A. Berg [sup.1] [sup.3] , Megan R. Holmes [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.67105.35, [...]

Over 25% of youth in the United States are estimated to witness intimate partner violence (IPV) at some point during childhood. Research has synthesized the physical and behavioral health consequences of children's IPV exposure, but evidence of links between witnessing IPV and children's physiological functioning has yet to be integrated. The primary aim of this systematic review is to delineate the patterns by which variation in children's physiological functioning has been measured to associate with IPV exposure. This study was one component of a broader Evidence and Gap Map (EGM) consolidation of how witnessing IPV affects children's wellbeing. Seven bibliographic databases were systematically searched through August 2020 and, of 381 total EGM-included citations, 23 examined children's physiological functioning in the context of IPV exposure. Research evidences a directly deleterious effect of IPV exposure for children's endocrine, nervous, cardiovascular, and immune functioning and a vulnerability effect of physiological dysregulation across other domains of children's wellbeing. Additional research on how specific aspects of IPV exposure affect children's physiologies and wellbeing across time is critical. Future inquiry measuring dynamic associations between various physiological responses in the aftermath of witnessing IPV is needed. Further elucidating the physiological context of children's IPV exposure is important for developing and implementing interventions that maximize children's opportunities for resilience., Author(s): Kristen A. Berg [sup.1] [sup.2] , Kylie E. Evans [sup.2] , Gregory Powers [sup.2] , Scott E. Moore [sup.3] , Stacey Steigerwald [sup.4] , Anna E. Bender [sup.2] , [...]

This systematic review addresses the gap in the literature regarding sibling relationship quality among Latinx families, a topic that has not been comprehensively examined to date. This study aimed to synthesize current research on sibling relationship quality in Latinx families, focusing on the influence of cultural factors, identifying key variables associated with sibling relationship quality, and evaluating the methodological approaches used. This paper is a systematic review based on a recently published evidence and gap map (EGM) that identified and visually presented all published studies investigating sibling relationship quality. Additional inclusion criteria were applied to select articles that specifically examined sibling relationship quality in the United States samples with at least 50% Latinx participants. The review included 12 articles representing 6 distinct studies, revealing significant findings on the roles of familism, simpatía, and gender in shaping sibling dynamics. Results indicated that cultural values such as familism and simpatía positively influence sibling intimacy and warmth, while gender dynamics further moderate these relationships. Methodologically, the articles employed longitudinal and cross-sectional designs, utilizing various quantitative measures. The findings underscore the importance of culturally sensitive approaches in studying sibling relationships and highlight the need for further research to explore these dynamics in diverse Latinx subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper used an evidence and gap map (EGM) to advance the scientific understanding of sibling relationship quality among children aged 2 to 18 years by synthesizing literature on 277 empirical studies from 1985 to 2022 to delineate patterns of study design, sampling, and measurement. Most existing research has utilized majority of White, middle‐to‐upper class, and/or two‐caregiver family samples. Nearly 85% (n = 235) of studies used quantitative methods to measure sibling relationship quality across eight domains: conflict, warmth/affection, quality, cohesion, hostility, power/control, positive engagement, and conflict management. A total of 122 studies used a measure of sibling relationship quality as a predictor of sibling behavior, social, psychological, cognitive, health, or physiological outcomes. Future directions for research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pregnant women face an increased risk of intimate partner violence (IPV). In addition to the risk of violence faced by women, there is a dual concern for risk of harm to the fetus. Expanding knowledge on childbirth outcomes, other domains of children's development have been examined in recent literature. Yet, there is limited comprehensive knowledge in the area. This scoping review study, informed by ecobiodevelopmental theory, mapped evidence associating prenatal IPV exposure and children's development. We searched eight databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, and ERIC. Thirty-one empirical studies published in English that associated prenatal IPV exposure and children's development were eligible for our review. Included studies were published between 2006 and 2022, with 39% published in the most recent 5 years. Eighteen studies had sample sizes smaller than 500, and 21 were atheoretical; six failed to consider covariates. Reviewed studies showed adverse effects of prenatal IPV exposure on psychological, behavioral, physical health, and physiological outcomes, either directly or indirectly via mechanisms such as maternal behavioral health. Due to inconsistency in results and a lack of empirical evidence, however, social and cognitive outcomes were identified as needing further research to enhance our understanding of the global and domain-specific effects of prenatal IPV exposure. Prospective longitudinal studies, driven by theories of causal mechanisms, which adjust for empirically qualified confounders, will be critical to inform practice and policy to promote healthy development of prenatally IPV-exposed children. Incorporating strengths/asset-focused outcomes and examining contextual factors and sex/gender specific effects may advance the knowledge in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faculty members at universities are increasingly shifting their pedagogical focus from traditional lectures to active learning by integrating academic technology such as clickers (i.e., student response systems) into classrooms. However, few studies have examined the effect of clickers on learning outcomes such as test grades, and even fewer studies have evaluated this technology in social work education. This study examined the effect of clickers on learning outcomes in an undergraduate social work course. Findings indicated that frequency of clicker use significantly contributed to increased test scores after controlling for important covariates, suggesting that clickers may be an effective tool in actively engaging social work students and promoting learning. Instructors guidelines for integrating technology into future social work courses are discussed.

This document is an introduction to a special issue of the journal "Families in Society: Journal of Contemporary Social Services" focused on building healthy relationships to end violence. The document highlights the importance of social relationships in addressing violence and emphasizes the need for innovative, effective, and culturally relevant solutions. The special issue includes research on various aspects of healthy relationships and violence prevention, such as language concerning intimate partner violence, theories of relational health, interventions centered on relationships, and the protective effects of communication in weakening the relation between violence exposure and mental health symptoms. The document concludes by calling for further research and development of interventions that promote healthy relationships. [Extracted from the article]

Because the effects of children's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) carry long lasting consequences for the affected children, IPV exposure may impose a significant economic burden to localities, states, and society at large, made explicit over the victim's lifetime and over a wide range of behaviors and outcomes, including use of social services, health and healthcare utilization, educational outcomes, workforce productivity, and criminal behavior. While much research has been conducted on the effect of IPV exposure on multiple short- and long-term outcomes, no research to date has examined the economic burden associated with IPV exposure. Using an incidence-based approach, we estimated the aggregate discounted costs associated with healthcare spending, criminal behavior, and labor market productivity accrued by a 20-year-old victim in 2016 projected to the age of 65, applying a 3% discount rate. The average lifetime costs derived from childhood IPV exposure are estimated to be over $50,000 per victim (2016 U.S. dollars) due to increased healthcare costs ($11,000), increased crime costs ($14,000), and productivity losses ($26,000). Over an annual birth cohort of young adults, these costs amount to over $55 billion nationwide. IPV exposure imposes a substantial economic burden to society at large in the form of increased healthcare costs, increased crime costs, and reduced productivity. This study offers an explicit quantification of substantial lifetime costs, which should encourage policy makers to redouble efforts to reduce the incidence of IPV and successfully ameliorate its effects on IPV-exposed children., Author(s): Megan R. Holmes [sup.1] , Francisca G. C. Richter [sup.1] , Mark E. Votruba [sup.2] , Kristen A. Berg [sup.1] , Anna E. Bender [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (Aff1) 0000 [...]

Background: Children who have been exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) experience a wide variety of short-term social adjustment and emotional difficulties, including externalizing behavioral problems such as aggression. While children are affected by IPV at all ages, little is known about the long-term consequences of IPV exposure at younger ages. Because early experiences provide the foundation for later development, children exposed to IPV as an infant or toddler may experience worse negative outcomes over time than children never exposed. Methods: Using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), latent growth curve modeling was conducted to examine whether early IPV exposure occurring between birth and age three (n = 107), compared with no exposure (n = 339), affects the development of aggressive behavior over 5 years. This modeling allowed for empirical exploration of developmental trajectories, and considered whether initial social development trajectories and change over time vary according to early IPV exposure. Results: Children who were exposed to more frequent early IPV did not have significantly different aggressive behavior problems initially than children who were never exposed. However, over time, the more frequently children were exposed between birth and 3 years, the more aggressive behavior problems were exhibited by age eight. Conclusions: Results indicate a long-term negative behavioral effect on children who have been exposed to IPV at an early age. An initial assessment directly following exposure to IPV may not be able to identify behavior problems in young children. Because the negative effects of early IPV exposure are delayed until the child is of school age, early intervention is necessary for reducing the risk of later aggressive behavior.

In recent years researchers have paid substantial attention to the issue of college students' alcohol use. One limitation to the current literature is an over reliance on retrospective, self-report survey data. This article presents field methodologies for measuring college students' alcohol consumption in natural drinking environments. Specifically, we present the methodology from a large field study of student drinking environments along with some illustrative data from the same study. Field surveys, observational methods, sampling issues, and breath alcohol concentration sample collection are detailed. (Contains 4 figures and 2 tables.) [Funding for this study was provided by the National Institute for Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (RO1 AA013968). An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Prevention Research and the Research Society on Alcoholism (2005).]

Objective: Using self-report survey data and measures of breath alcohol concentration (BrAC), this study examined the validity of an estimate of blood alcohol concentration (eBAC). Differences between eBAC and BrAC were modeled to identify sources of error related to survey-derived eBAC. Further, using hierarchical multilevel analyses, environmental event characteristics were examined as sources of eBAC error. Method: College students were interviewed and provided breath samples at randomly selected parties on Friday and Saturday nights. Interviews included items assessing the total number of drinks consumed, duration of drinking event, gender, and weight, which allowed for the calculation of eBAC. Results: Overall, eBACs were in accurate. Total number of drinks consumed was associated with underestimates of eBAC, whereas time drinking was associated with over-estimates of eBAC. Environmental variables, including party size, rowdy behavior, having food present, and observing many intoxicated partygoers, were also associated with eBAC errors. Conclusions: Current self-report survey methodology to calculate eBAC may be insufficient to estimate BAC with any accuracy. Environmental factors associated with the last drinking event for which BAC is being estimated should be considered when calculating eBAC., THE HIGH COST OF BIOLOGICAL MEASURES of blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) has resulted in few studies (see Lange and Voas [2001] and Thombs et al. [2003]) of college student drinking [...]

Child trauma screening practices have advanced considerably as child-serving systems have increasingly incorporated early identification and intervention into traumainformed models of care. While research points to the necessity of screening practices that attend to a child's developmental capacities, cultural background, relational strengths, contextual details surrounding the traumatic experience, and complex trauma considerations, many of these features remain absent in common brief screening measures used in practice. Pictorial screening measures may offer an innovative opportunity to address attentional concerns and developmental capacities of young and complexly traumatized children, yet are understudied in this area. The purpose of this paper is threefold: 1) highlight areas for expansion within current brief trauma screening models, 2) propose an evidence-informed framework for a pictorial complex trauma screening tool for children, and 3) offer implementation considerations for piloting the proposed screening tool. Piloting and implementation considerations address the importance of cognitive interviewing, cultural sensitivity, development of a companion response and referral protocol, and embedding principles of trauma-informed care in the training and implementation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim/Purpose This descriptive study examines indicators of well-being and sources of emotional connection for social work doctoral students at American institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, work-related burnout, emotional connection to others, and changes in child care among parent respondents. This study also explores if particular groups of doctoral students experience heightened risks to well-being during the pandemic. Background Social isolation strategies associated with the COVID-19 pandemic present challenges for doctoral student well-being, mental health, professional relationships, and degree persistence. Of particular concern is the potentially disproportionate impact the pandemic may have on the well-being of students who already face additional barriers to degree completion, such as parents and caregivers, as well as those who face obstacles associated with structural oppression, including persons of color, women, and sexual minority (SM) students. Methodology Baseline data was used from a longitudinal survey study conducted by the authors on social work doctoral student well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (N = 297) were recruited through the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work's (GADE's) publicly available list of 89 member institutions in the United States. The majority of respondents identified as women (80.1%), 35% of the sample identified as a person of color and/or non-White race, 30% identified as a sexual minority, and 32% were parents of children under 18 years of age. Contribution This study contributes to the larger body of literature on factors associated with risk, resilience, and well-being among doctoral students, and it offers a specific exploration of these factors within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study deepens our understanding of social work doctoral students in particular, who have higher rates of doctoral enrollment by women and persons of color than many other academic disciplines. Findings Emotional connection to loved ones was significantly correlated with lower levels of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and work-related burnout. Outcomes varied by race, with Black and Asian respondents indicating higher levels of emotional connection to loved ones as compared to White respondents, and Black respondents indicating lower levels of anxiety and depression compared to White respondents. SM respondents indicated significantly lower levels of emotional connection and higher levels of depression and anxiety, as compared to heterosexual respondents. Parents reported receiving substantially less child care assistance than they were before the pandemic, but also reported lower levels of anxiety, depression, and work-related burnout compared to childless respondents. Recommendations for Practitioners Recommendations for doctoral program directors and chairs include implementing a purposive communication strategy, faculty modeling self-care and boundaries, creating opportunities for connection, scheduling value-added activities driven by student interest and needs, approaching student needs and plans of study with flexibility, and creating virtual affinity groups to help students connect with those facing similar challenges. Recommendations for Researchers Outcome evaluation studies of doctoral program initiatives and policies to promote student well-being--both during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic--is warranted. Impact on Society The COVID-19 pandemic presents complex financial, interpersonal, and programmatic challenges for doctoral faculty and program directors, many of which affect the well-being and mental health of their students. Findings and recommendations from this study may be used to address the needs of doctoral students and support their path to doctoral degree completion. Future Research Future studies should include measures that tap a broader range of indicators of depression, anxiety, and emotional connection, and additional domains of well-being. Multivariate analyses would permit predictive conclusions, and follow-up qualitative analyses would offer deeper insights into doctoral students' well-being, coping skills, and experiences within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge about the concordance of parent- and child-reported child physical abuse is scarce, leaving researchers and practitioners with little guidance on the implications of selecting either informant. Drawing from a 2008–2009 sample of 11- to 17-year-olds (N = 636) from Wave 1 of the second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, this study first examined parent–child concordance in physical abuse reporting (Parent–Child Conflict Tactic Scale). Second, it applied multivariate regression analysis to relate parent–child agreement in physical abuse to parent-reported (Child Behavior Checklist) and child-reported (Youth Self Report) child behavioral problems. Results indicate low parent–child concordance of physical abuse (κ = .145). Coreporting of physical abuse was related to clinical-level parent-reported externalizing problems ( y ̄ = 64.57), whereas child-only reports of physical abuse were the only agreement category related to child-reported internalizing problems (B = 4.17, p < .001). Attribution bias theory may further understanding of reporting concordance and its implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]