Transcript Slide 1

How Witnessing Inter-Parental
Conflict and Violence affects Children
Gordon Harold, PhD
School of Psychology
Cardiff University
Overview
 The
impact of domestic violence on
children

Capturing the extent of the problem
 What
research says about the effects of
Inter-parental conflict children
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
A brief review of research
Evidence from a British Study
 Practice

and policy applications of research
Home Office, Welsh Assembly Government,
CAFCASS CYMRU
 Summary

and conclusions
Bottom-line
Children and Domestic Violence
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Defining the problem (exposure to DV)
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Implications for children exposed to DV
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40% of children show clinically significant emotional and
behavioural problems, compared to 10% of children who live in
homes not characterised as DV
Shifting the focus from ‘victim’ to ‘witness’
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Worldwide: 275 million children
UK: 240, 000 to 963, 000 (Behind Closed Doors Report)
Adoption and Children Act (2002; 2006)
Witnessing DV as child protection concern
How does witnessing inter-parental conflict affect children?
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A review of the evidence
How Children are Affected by Families
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Internalising
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Externalising
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Classroom behaviour;
academic performance
Social Competence
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Aggression, hostility,
delinquency
Academic Achievement
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Depression, anxiety,
withdrawal
Relations with peers, other
adults (teachers)
Physical Health
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Smoking, drinking, eating
problems
What Family Factors Affect Children
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Family type and transition
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Single vs., two-parent family
• Separation, divorce, remarriage
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Parent psychological health
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Family economic stress
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Economic pressure, SES, work
pressure/stress, income loss
Parent-child relations
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Depression, anti-social behaviour
Parenting style, communication,
parent-child conflict
Inter-parental conflict
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Dissatisfaction, conflict/discord,
hostility, violence
Inter-Parental Conflict and Children’s
Psychological Development
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Children of all ages are affected by exposure to conflict
between parents
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6 months to 16 years
• Physiological arousal, anxiety, depression, aggression, hostility, IQ
deficits, low academic attainment, poor peer relations, AB problems
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Conflict across the continuum
• Low warmth – High hostility
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Direct versus Indirect effects of conflict between adults
on children
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Adult Conflict
Adult Conflict
Parenting
Child Problems
Child Problems
Passive victim or direct witness?
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What are the effects of witnessing inter-parental conflict on
children?
Effects of Witnessing Conflict on Children
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Brain development (0-4 years)
Biological abnormalities (HPA axis);
Antisocial Behaviour Problems
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Emotional development (0-4 years)
Anger, fear, shame, guilt, worry
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Cognitive development (5-10 years)
Attributions of self and others,
expectations of conflict
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Social and Behavioural (5-16 years)
development
Aggressiveness, interpretation of intent,
expectations of others, peer/romantic
relations
How Inter-Parental Conflict Affects
Children
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A cognitive-contextual perspective (Grych & Fincham,
1990)
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Emotional Security (Davies & Cummings, 1994)
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The attributions children assign to parents’ marital arguments
explains differences in their responses
Children’s attachment processes are disrupted by high levels of
acrimonious inter-parental conflict
Family Representations (Harold & Conger, 1997)
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Inter-parental conflict serves as a primer for children’s
perceptions of family relationships (e.g. parent-child
relationships) as well as their attributions of ‘self’ and others
Research Synopsis
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Primary findings
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Frequent, intense, poorly resolved and child related interparental conflict linked to heightened internalising symptoms,
externalising problems and low academic attainment
Different mechanisms for boys, girls, mothers and fathers
• Child gender
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Threat
Self-blame
Externalising > boys
Internalising > girls
• Parent gender
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Historical focus on emotional and behavioural outcomes
for children
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Mothers > hostility to boys (agentic orientation)
Fathers > withdrawal from daughters (relationship orientation)
Internalising symptoms; Externalising problems
Role of child behaviour as factor in disrupted family
system?
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Direction of effects?
Longitudinal evidence
• Disrupted family relationships > effect on disrupted child behaviour
than the converse
Family – School Interface
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Time to move beyond global assessment of psychological
impacts to impacts in other social domains
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Implications for long-term development and well being
What children learn at home affects what children can
learn outside the home (Welsh Schoolteacher)
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Outcome becomes influence?
• Depression/anxiety
• Aggression/Hostility
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aggression/hostility
Low Academic Attainment
Importance of academic attainment
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Academic success = Adult well being
Little is known about family factors that influence variation in
children’s academic attainment
Some Evidence - SWFS (1999-2004)
Sample
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542 children, parents and teachers (78% = two-parent;
9% = stepparent; 11% + 2% = single-parent)
Three year panel study 1999, 2000, 2001 (+ 2004 GCSE)
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Sample retention: Parent = 71% (N = 387); Child and Teacher = 90%
(N = 488)
Representative of families living in England and Wales - family
composition, ethnic representation, economic diversity (Social Trends,
2000).
Method
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Interview
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Family communication, problem solving, family relations etc.,
Questionnaire
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Parents: Couple relationship, parent-child relationship, symptoms of
depression and anxiety, family economic conditions, styles of family
interaction, parenting style, children’s emotional and behavioural wellbeing
Children: Parent relationship, parent-child relationship, family
economic conditions, styles of family interaction, emotional and
behavioural well-being, family and school support, substance use,
Teachers: Child emotional and behavioural well being, academic
performance
Inter-Parental Conflict and Children’s
Academic Attainment: A Longitudinal
Analysis
Harold, G.T., Aitken, J., Shelton, K.H. (2007). Inter-parental conflict and children’s
academic attainment: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
Age 11 years
Age 12 years
Age 13 years
Harsh / Rejecting
Parenting
Child
.48**
R2=.29
.02
.01
R2=.17
.54
Interparental
Conflict
.03
.18*
.70
.36*
Parent
Aggressive
Problems
.36**
.67**
R2=.20
.22*
Aggressive
Problems
.08
Perceptions of
Self-Blame and
Responsibility
.28*
R2=.48
Low Academic
Attainment
.77
.97
.92
English
.20*
Math
Science
N=230
.04
Χ217=33.18
AGFI=.92
Age 11 years
Age 12 years
Age 13 years
Harsh / Rejecting
Parenting
Interparental
Conflict
Child
Behaviour
Problems
Appraisals of
Self-Blame and
Responsibility
Low Academic
Achievement
(Key Stage 3)
Implications
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Inter-parental conflict and child development
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Highlighting mechanisms
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Internalising symptoms, externalising problems,
academic attainment
Negative parenting versus child perceptions of interparental relationship
External versus internal processes
Importance of the child’s perspective
Implications for intervention
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Focus on parenting in the context of inter-parental
conflict??
Attributions engendered in children who witness high
levels of inter-parental conflict and violence
Context specific assessment of ‘risk’ and ‘risk
mechanism’ in development of intervention
programmes
Context of Policy Applications
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Legislative Developments
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Adoption and Children Act (2002); Children and
Adoption Act (2006)
Definition of significant harm emanating from
exposure to domestic violence has been extended to
include ‘impairment suffered from seeing or hearing
the ill treatment of another’
Practice and policy applications of research
relating to the effects of inter-parental conflict on
children
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Domestic violence
Parental separation and divorce
Intervention and psycho-educational programme
development
Domestic Violence
Home Office Domestic
Violence Policy Unit
 National Domestic Violence
Delivery Plan (2007)
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Similar psychological effects
on children as being a direct
victim of violence (Harold,
ESRC 2006-07)
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Developing interventions that
address mechanisms through
which witnessing inter-parental
conflict and violence affects
children
Assessing ‘Psychological’ Risk
Welsh Assembly
Government
(CAFCASS, CYMRU)
 Risk-assessment ‘Toolkit’
for children who witness
inter-parental conflict and
violence
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Comprehensive research
review
Practitioner friendly
summary
Evidence-based risk
assessment ‘Toolkit’
Parenting and Family Support
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Review of intervention
programmes based on
research

Assessing the efficacy of
parenting programmes
• School transition
• Inter-parental conflict and
violence
• Foster care provision
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Implications for working
with children who witness
high levels of inter-parental
conflict and violence
Expansion of parent
psycho-educational
programme (South Wales
Family Study)
Summary of Research
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Children are affected by conflict across the spectrum
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Not ‘if’ conflict occurs, but ‘how’ conflict is expressed and
managed by adults
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Importance of the child’s active interpretation of parents’
management of conflict
Constructive vs., destructive ‘conflict’
Importance of the child’s perspective
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Depression, aggression, anxiety, hostility, low self-esteem, low
social competence (peers, teachers), delinquency, low academic
attainment
Low warmth
High hostility
Active agents rather than ‘invisible’ victims
Children’s mental representation of conflict between adults
(causes, implications, consequences) explain variation in their
adaptation/adjustment (why some do well, while others don’t)
The importance of translation
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Putting research into practice
• A challenge of language and time
• CAFCASS CYMRU – Fitting science to practice
Contact Details:
Gordon Harold, Ph.D.
School of Psychology
Cardiff University
Tower Building
Park Place
Cardiff CF10 3AT.
Phone: 029 2087 6093, E-mail: [email protected]
Note: Research reviewed as part of this presentation was supported by
grants awarded by the Economic and Social Research Council and The
British Academy.