The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children's Psychological Well-Being.

This paper is a review of current research on the effects of children's exposure to domestic violence in the home in regard to their psychological well-being. Specific areas of focus include studies that examine general effects of witnessing domestic violence, the presence of trauma-like and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, potential moderators of the effects of domestic violence, and long-term effects on adult functioning of witnessing domestic violence during childhood. This paper examines various methodological issues in regard to definition of terms, sampling, and instrumentation. The research suggests a strong correlation between witnessing domestic violence and risk for behavior problems and psychological distress, including trauma-like symptoms and PTSD, depression, and low self-esteem. Evidence is also strong for the presence of negative long-term consequences for adults who witnessed or were exposed to domestic violence during childhood. Clinical implications of the findings as well as suggestions for future research are also discussed. (Contains 51 references.) (Author)