Risk and Resilience Among Children Exposed to Family Violence

Abstract

Research on the relationship between exposure to family violence and functional adaptation in children has been inconsistent and inconclusive. In this study, exposure to family violence was correlated with vulnerability, resilience, and protective factors in a clinical sample of 60 children aged 8 through 11. Exposure was found to be related to children’s self-worth and to behavior problems. However, these relationships varied by gender, support, and type of functioning being measured. Exposure was positively correlated with behavioral problems among girls, and negatively correlated with self-worth among boys. High levels of support protected boys only from the effects of exposure.