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The Relation Between Intimate Partner Violence, Parenting Stress, and Child Behavior Problems

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Abstract

Parenting characteristics can have a significant influence on how children are affected by family violence. The purpose of this study was to explore the role women’s parenting stress plays in the relationship between exposure to physical and psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) and children’s externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. Data for this study were taken from three waves of the Illinois Families Study. The final sample included 1,653 children from 805 families. Structural equation modeling analyses were conducted across two developmental stages in order to better understand the unique relationships based on child development. For children ages 6–12 years, parenting stress mediated the relationship between exposure to psychological IPV and internalizing behaviors. No direct or indirect pathways between exposure to IPV and children’s behavior problems were found among adolescents ages 13–17. Implications for social service interventions with children and families exposed to violence are included.

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Notes

  1. A cutoff value close to .95 for Comparative Fit Index (CFI) and the Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) and a cutoff value close to .06 for the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) are needed to conclude there is relatively good fit between the hypothesized model and observed data (Hu and Bentler 1999).

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  1. School of Social Work, University of Iowa, 308 North Hall, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Lynette M. Renner & Shamra Boel-Studt

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  1. Lynette M. Renner
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Correspondence to Lynette M. Renner.

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This research was supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01 HD39148 and K01 HD41703-01) and the Silberman Fund Faculty Grant Program. Administrative data linkages were developed by the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago and survey data were collected by the Metro Chicago Information Center (MCIC).

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Renner, L.M., Boel-Studt, S. The Relation Between Intimate Partner Violence, Parenting Stress, and Child Behavior Problems. J Fam Viol 28, 201–212 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-012-9477-6

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