red dot icon
Journal Article Family violence is a social and public health issue across the world for many populations and affects many different types of people, for example, children, women, and vulnerable adults. Adolescents are one of the main victims of this important phenomenon. This article estimates the prevalence of family violence in adolescents and associated factors. The study was carried out in 2012 with a probability and representative sample of 656 adolescents aged between 11 and 17 years who were enrolled at public schools located in the extreme South of the city of São Paulo. The association was tested…
red dot icon
Journal Article Although maltreatment is a known risk factor for multiple adverse outcomes across the lifespan, its effects on cognitive development, especially memory, are poorly understood. Using data from a large, nationally representative sample of young adults (Add Health), we examined the effects of physical and sexual abuse on working and short-term memory in adulthood. We examined the association between exposure to maltreatment as well as its timing of first onset after adjusting for covariates. Of our sample, 16.50% of respondents were exposed to physical abuse and 4.36% to sexual abuse by age 17.…
red dot icon
Journal Article Teen dating violence (TDV) is a preventable public health problem that has negative consequences for youth. Despite evidence that youth in urban communities with high crime and economic disadvantage may be at particularly high risk for TDV, little work has specifically addressed TDV in these communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a comprehensive approach to prevent TDV--Dating Matters: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships--that addresses gaps in research and practice. This report from CDC describes the programmatic activities,…
red dot icon
Journal Article Background: Despite robust evidence of fathers' impact on children and mothers, engaging with fathers is one of the least well-explored and articulated aspects of parenting interventions. It is therefore critical to evaluate implicit and explicit biases manifested in current approaches to research, intervention, and policy. Methods: We conducted a systematic database and a thematic hand search of the global literature on parenting interventions. Studies were selected from Medline, Psychinfo, SSCI, and Cochrane databases, and from gray literature on parenting programs, using multiple search…
red dot icon
Journal Article The ongoing longitudinal Adverse Childhood Experiences Study of adults has found significant associations between chronic conditions; quality of life and life expectancy in adulthood; and the trauma and stress associated with adverse childhood experiences, including physical or emotional abuse or neglect, deprivation, or exposure to violence. Less is known about the population-based epidemiology of adverse childhood experiences among US children. Using the 2011–12 National Survey of Children’s Health, we assessed the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences and associations between them…
red dot icon
Journal Article This special issue is the result of a successful collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and researchers leading four important longitudinal studies on intergenerational patterns of violence: The Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study (E-Risk); the Family Transitions Project (FTP); the Lehigh Longitudinal Study; and the Rochester Youth Development Study. The papers included in this issue investigate the role of safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and social contexts in the lives of children and their caregivers, provide insight into complex…
red dot icon
Journal Article Purpose: Harsh, abusive, and rejecting behavior by parents toward their children is associated with increased risk for many developmental problems for youth. Earlier research also shows that children raised by harsh parents are more likely to treat their own children harshly. The present study evaluated nurturing and supportive behaviors of spouses or cohabiting romantic partners hypothesized to strengthen co-parent relationships and help break this intergenerational cycle of harsh parenting. Methods: Data come from the Family Transitions Project, a 22-year, 3-generation study of a cohort of…
red dot icon
Journal Article The situation of children exposed to intimate partner violence ( IPV) raises certain issues related to child neglect. Little is known about how children exposed to IPV perceive and describe their living conditions. This paper addresses this lack by analysing aspects of fathers' care in descriptions given by children whose fathers have subjected the mothers to IPV. The analysis is based on qualitative interviews with 10 children aged 8-12 years. Three themes constitute the results. First, the fathers are not described by the children as engaged and responsible care providers. Second, in their…
red dot icon
Journal Article A large percentage of men who perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV) are fathers who continue to live with or have visitation with their children. Yet, providers rarely consider that fathers who perpetrate IPV may benefit from a parent-child focused intervention. Therapeutic work with men who perpetrate IPV, especially with their children, is complex, considering that issues of child safety take precedence. This article is meant to provide (a) a rationale for considering father-child intervention in the context of IPV, (b) specific strategies for assessment, (c) guidelines for determining…
red dot icon
Journal Article This article describes a short-term group intervention with children who witnessed their fathers attempt to murder their mothers. All of the children were aggressive in school and had some degree of speech impairment. During the 12 week session, the children identified their fathers with monsters, specifically Frankenstein. The therapist responded with a description of Frankenstein as a doll with batteries in place of a brain. Children in the group learned that their fathers, like Frankenstein, could not control their behavior. This translation, as well as a focus on safety and acceptance,…
