Exposure To Family Violence Especially Harmful To Previously Abused Children

Millions of American children are exposed to violence in their homes each year, putting them at risk for a variety of emotional and behavioral problems.

According to a new study, children who are maltreated tend to have a lot of re-exposure to family violence, and this re-exposure often leads to increased psychological problems.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, University of California, Irvine, and West Chester University found that the types of violence that abused children [Types of child abuse] were subsequently re-exposed to led to specific types of psychological problems.

Specifically, previously abused children who witnessed family violence had more symptoms of depression and anxiety, while previously abused children who were subjected to harsh physical discipline were more aggressive and broke rules more frequently.

“Our study has implications for mental health treatment and policy: Clinicians and service providers should be especially concerned about the substantial number of maltreatment victims who are re-exposed to family violence, because these children are highly vulnerable to ongoing emotional and behavioral problems,” according to Andrea Kohn Maikovich, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pennsylvania and the study’s lead author.

Read more at EurekAlert

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