Children's Understanding of Parental Violence

This paper describes domestic violence from the perspective of 56 preschool and school-age children during their temporary residence at a shelter for battered women. Data were extracted from transcripts of individual counseling sessions that explored the childrens' feelings about the abuse and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Child & youth care forum 1999-10, Vol.28 (5), p.351-364
Main Authors: Ornduff, Sidney R, Monahan, Kathleen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Children
Children & youth
Content analysis
Coping
Domestic violence
Individual Counseling
Preschool children
Understanding
Violence
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Summary:This paper describes domestic violence from the perspective of 56 preschool and school-age children during their temporary residence at a shelter for battered women. Data were extracted from transcripts of individual counseling sessions that explored the childrens' feelings about the abuse and the abuser, their strategies for coping with aggression and conflict in their families, and their understanding and feelings about their need for shelter placement. Content analysis of session data revealed that the children viewed the violence as unambiguously negative, although ambivalence about the abuser was sometimes expressed. Coping strategies varied and tended to be focused on emotional disengagement. Most children were able to articulate causal links between episodes of parental violence and need for shelter placement. Feelings about the shelter were generally positive and centered around themes of personal safety and comfort. Family reunion was frequently expressed as a desired outcome. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:1053-1890
1573-3319
DOI:10.1023/A:1021974429983