The current research is designed to fill some of the gaps in our knowledge about the unique and combined effects of intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure and child maltreatment on child social-emotional behavior, how sibling structural factors affect the social-emotional outcomes of children experiencing family violence, and whether maternal warmth may buffer the long-term negative effects of family violence on the development of children's social-emotional outcomes while accounting for influences of sibling structural factors. To accomplish this, a secondary analysis will be conducted using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW-I). This application is in response to PA-10-064: NIH Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03). The proposed research impacts the field of child health and human development in two valuable ways. First, it addresses the primary goal of contributing to the optimal development of children who have been exposed to IPV by providing a better understanding of the nature of heterogeneity in adjustment, as well as some of the mechanisms (i.e., child maltreatment, sibling structural factors, and maternal warmth) that may account for the wide range of variability in social-emotional outcomes. Second, this research also contributes to the NICHD's mission of ensuring that all children have optimal mental and behavioral growth and development through infancy, childhood, and adolescence. This contribution is significant, because it addresses a critical need of identifying child and family processes (i.e., sibling factors and maternal warmth) that are protective and occurring within the family. This research has four specific aims: (1) to investigate and compare IPV exposed children's patterns of social-emotional adjustment (i.e., externalizing behavior, internalizing behavior, and social skills) over time; (2) to determine if the strength and directio of the relationship between IPV exposure and patterns of social-emotional adjustment are affected by maltreatment (i.e., neglect, physical and psychological abuse); (3) to investigate the role of sibling structural factors (i.e., sibship size, birth order, gender constellation) as potenial mechanisms that differ across these adjustment patterns in children experiencing family violence; and (4) to determine whether maternal warmth, buffers long- term negative social-emotional outcomes of children experiencing family violence while accounting for influences of sibling structural factors. Because siblings have a shared family environment, this research will improve our understanding of the importance of sibling structural factors and will offer a foundation for future research examining sibling relationship quality. This original research will provide greater insight into the mechanisms of sibling structural factors and maternal warmth than can be achieved with cross-sectional studies, potentially leading to improved and targeted sibling intervention strategies to reduce the negative developmental consequences of family violence.
Exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) continues to be a serious and highly prevalent public health concern that negatively affects children's mental and physical health, both in the short term and over the life course. The proposed research is of considerable public health significance in that it will provide foundational information on the mechanisms of child maltreatment, sibling structural factors, and maternal warmth that cannot be achieved with cross-sectional studies, potentially leading to improved and targeted intervention strategies to reduce the negative developmental consequences of IPV exposure.
