Event Title

Mental Health and Behavioral Correlates of Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence and Concomitant Animal Abuse

Abstract

The negative effects of children’s exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) have been reviewed extensively by scholars and include both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems as well as poor socioemotional development (e.g., Gewirtz & Edleson, 2007; Kuelbs, 2009). Recent research suggests that concomitant exposure to animal abuse occurring in families who have experienced IPV may be an additional risk factor for mental health problems and antisocial behavior in youth (e.g., Simmons & Lehmann, 2007). The current study had two goals: 1) to examine the prevalence of threats and harm to companion animals in homes characterized by IPV and 2) to compare the unique mental health and behavioral correlates of children’s exposure to IPV in the presence or absence of concomitant animal abuse.

Participants included 47 mothers and their 7- to 12-year-old children who were receiving residential or non-residential services from a domestic violence agency and who reported owning a pet currently or within the past year. Mothers’ reports of partners’ perpetration of animal abuse and children’s exposure to animal abuse were derived from the Pet Treatment Survey (Ascione, 2011). Children’s callous/unemotional traits and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems were derived from maternal reports on the Inventory of Callous/Unemotional Traits (Frick, 2003) and standardized scores on the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 2001), respectively, and rates of these indices were compared for youth who had or had not been exposed to concomitant animal abuse.

Approximately 45% of mothers reported their partner had hurt or killed one of their pets, with 45% indicating their child had seen or heard pets hurt or killed in the home. Independent samples t-tests determined children of mothers who had reported their child had heard about or observed a pet being hurt or killed in their home had significantly higher mean rates of internalizing behavior problems compared to their non-exposed counterparts (t(45)= 2.36, p= .023). Independent samples t-tests also determined that children of mothers who reported their partner had hurt or killed one of their pets were characterized by significantly higher mean rates of externalizing behavior problems (t(45)= -2.01, p= .05) and higher mean rates of callous/unemotional traits (t(31.6)= -3.04, p= .005).

This study’s results lend support to previous research linking children’s exposure to IPV and concomitant animal abuse to child mental health, behavior problems, and antisocial behavior. Our findings are supplemented with additional analyses linking animal abuse in the context of IPV with children’s self-reported severity of exposure to family violence and treatment of animals. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for social work educators and practitioners and illustrate how addressing human-animal relationships in childhood can inform therapeutic interventions to promote mental health and well-being of youth exposed to family violence.

Track

The link between human and animal violence

Preferred Presentation Format

Podium: 30-minute podium presentation

Speaker Bio

Samantha Brown, MA, LPC is presently a first year PhD student in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver (DU). Ms. Brown received a master’s degree in forensic psychology at DU and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado State. Currently, she is a research assistant for the NICHD funded research collaboration between the Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Graduate School of Social Work at DU, and also serves as a graduate research assistant for the Butler Institute for Families. Ms. Brown is pursuing her research interests in human-animal interactions and developmental outcomes of youth.

Location

SUMMIT ROOM

Start Date

11-4-2013 4:00 PM

End Date

11-4-2013 4:30 PM

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Apr 11th, 4:00 PM Apr 11th, 4:30 PM

Mental Health and Behavioral Correlates of Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence and Concomitant Animal Abuse

SUMMIT ROOM

The negative effects of children’s exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) have been reviewed extensively by scholars and include both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems as well as poor socioemotional development (e.g., Gewirtz & Edleson, 2007; Kuelbs, 2009). Recent research suggests that concomitant exposure to animal abuse occurring in families who have experienced IPV may be an additional risk factor for mental health problems and antisocial behavior in youth (e.g., Simmons & Lehmann, 2007). The current study had two goals: 1) to examine the prevalence of threats and harm to companion animals in homes characterized by IPV and 2) to compare the unique mental health and behavioral correlates of children’s exposure to IPV in the presence or absence of concomitant animal abuse.

Participants included 47 mothers and their 7- to 12-year-old children who were receiving residential or non-residential services from a domestic violence agency and who reported owning a pet currently or within the past year. Mothers’ reports of partners’ perpetration of animal abuse and children’s exposure to animal abuse were derived from the Pet Treatment Survey (Ascione, 2011). Children’s callous/unemotional traits and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems were derived from maternal reports on the Inventory of Callous/Unemotional Traits (Frick, 2003) and standardized scores on the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 2001), respectively, and rates of these indices were compared for youth who had or had not been exposed to concomitant animal abuse.

Approximately 45% of mothers reported their partner had hurt or killed one of their pets, with 45% indicating their child had seen or heard pets hurt or killed in the home. Independent samples t-tests determined children of mothers who had reported their child had heard about or observed a pet being hurt or killed in their home had significantly higher mean rates of internalizing behavior problems compared to their non-exposed counterparts (t(45)= 2.36, p= .023). Independent samples t-tests also determined that children of mothers who reported their partner had hurt or killed one of their pets were characterized by significantly higher mean rates of externalizing behavior problems (t(45)= -2.01, p= .05) and higher mean rates of callous/unemotional traits (t(31.6)= -3.04, p= .005).

This study’s results lend support to previous research linking children’s exposure to IPV and concomitant animal abuse to child mental health, behavior problems, and antisocial behavior. Our findings are supplemented with additional analyses linking animal abuse in the context of IPV with children’s self-reported severity of exposure to family violence and treatment of animals. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for social work educators and practitioners and illustrate how addressing human-animal relationships in childhood can inform therapeutic interventions to promote mental health and well-being of youth exposed to family violence.