Journal of Family Violence 

About: Journal of Family Violence is an academic journal published by Springer Science+Business Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Domestic violence & Poison control. It has an ISSN identifier of 0885-7482. Over the lifetime, 2082 publications have been published receiving 78161 citations.

Intimate Partner Violence as a Risk Factor for Mental Disorders: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract: This article reviews literature on the prevalence of mental health problems among women with a history of intimate partner violence. The weighted mean prevalence of mental health problems among battered women was 47.6% in 18 studies of depression, 17.9% in 13 studies of suicidality, 63.8% in 11 studies of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 18.5% in 10 studies of alcohol abuse, and 8.9% in four studies of drug abuse. These were typically inconsistent across studies. Weighted mean odds ratios representing associations of these problems with violence ranged from 3.55 to 5.62, and were typically consistent across studies. Variability was accounted for by differences in sampling frames. Dose-response relationships of violence to depression and PTSD were observed. Although research has not addressed many criteria for causal inferences, the existing research is consistent with the hypothesis that intimate partner violence increases risk for mental health problems. The appropriate way to conceptualize these problems deserves careful attention.

Development of the severity of violence against women scales

Abstract: In response to the need for more sensitive assessment instruments, scales were developed applicable to the evaluation of male violence against women Two versions of the Severity of Violence Against Women Scale (SVAWS) were developed On 10-point scales, college females (N = 707) rated how serious, aggressive, abusive, violent, and threatening it would be if a man carried out each of 46 acts with a woman The mean of each act across ratings was calculated and submitted to factor analysis Nine factors represented symbolic violence: threats of mild, moderate, and serious violence; actual mild, minor, moderate, and serious violence; and sexual violence Community women (N = 208) rated the acts on seriousness, aggressiveness, and abusiveness All factors were unidimensional Second-order factor analysis confirmed the existence of two broader dimensions representing physically threatening acts and actual violence Ratings of the amount of physical and emotional harm provided the weightings for future research with student (SVAWS-S) and adult (SVAWS) samples

The role of emotional abuse in physically abusive relationships

Abstract: Two hundred thirty four women were interviewed to assess the relationship of emotional abuse to physical abuse. Six major types of emotional abuse were identified. Analyses determined if the types of emotional abuse were related to the frequency and severity of physical abuse. Women in long-term abusive relationships were contrasted with women experiencing only short-term abuse. Other comparisons consisted of: women who thought emotional abuse was worse than physical abuse vs. women who thought the opposite; and women who could predict physical abuse from the emotional abuse were compared with those who could not. The extent to which the women believed the men's threats and ridicule or thought their abusive behavior was justified was used as a factor to determine the impact of emotional abuse. Future research should investigate emotional abuse patterns in nonbattering relationships for comparison with battered women's experiences.

The Effects of Child Abuse and Exposure to Domestic Violence on Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior Problems.

Abstract: This study examines the effects of child abuse and domestic violence exposure in childhood on adolescent internalizing and externalizing behaviors Data for this analysis are from the Lehigh Longitudinal Study, a prospective study of 457 youth addressing outcomes of family violence and resilience in individuals and families Results show that child abuse, domestic violence, and both in combination (ie, dual exposure) increase a child’s risk for internalizing and externalizing outcomes in adolescence When accounting for risk factors associated with additional stressors in the family and surrounding environment, only those children with dual exposure had an elevated risk of the tested outcomes compared to non-exposed youth However, while there were some observable differences in the prediction of outcomes for children with dual exposure compared to those with single exposure (ie, abuse only or exposure to domestic violence only), these difference were not statistically significant Analyses showed that the effects of exposure for boys and girls are statistically comparable

Parenting in battered women: The effects of domestic violence on women and their children.

Abstract: This study integrates an ecological perspective and trauma theory in proposing a model of the effects of domestic violence on women's parenting and children's adjustment. One hundred and twenty women and their children between the ages of 7 and 12 participated. Results supported an ecological model of the impact of domestic violence on women and children. The model predicted 40% of the variance in children's adjustment, 8% of parenting style, 43% of maternal psychological functioning, and 23% of marital satisfaction, using environmental factors such as social support, negative life events, and maternal history of child abuse. Overall, results support the ecological framework and trauma theory in understanding the effects of domestic violence on women and children. Rather than focusing on internal pathology, behavior is seen to exist on a continuum influenced heavily by the context in which the person is developing.