This program of research involves two projects. The goal of the first project is to explore the effects of domestic violence on 8- to 12-year- old children who were either victims of physical abuse, witnesses of spousal abuse, both victims and witnesses, or neither victims nor witnesses. Overall, children who were physically abused by one or both parents reported more behavior problems, more depression, and more negative perceptions of perpetrating parents than did their counterparts in the respective comparison groups. However, mothers reported that their children had the highest levels of problematic behavior when spouse abuse had occurred, whereas children reported the highest levels of problematic behavior when they themselves had been abused. Fathers' and teachers' perceptions of children's problematic behavior were unrelated to the children's experiences of domestic violence. The goal of the second study is to assess the field reliability and validity of a system for eliciting and assessing statements by children who were alleged to have witnessed sexual abuse. Sites around the United States and in Israel are providing video or audio tapes of child interviews along with case files to establish case facts independent of the statements. Interjudge and test-retest reliability of Criteria-Based Content Analysis (CBCA) techniques were examined and revealed high reliability for total scores and some individual criteria. Some of the criteria are being revised in light of this preliminary research. The study will also provide basic data on the development of verbal abilities and children's memories of real-life events.
