RESUMO
The effects of time and the longitudinal course of the children's internalizing symptoms following Intimate Partner Violence Exposure (IPVE) are still of great interest today. This study aimed to analyze the effect of the frequency of IPVE, adverse experiences after the cessation of the IPVE and the time elapsed since the termination of the violent relation on the prevalence of anxiety and depression among children. Participants were 107 children and their mothers who had been victims of IPV and had existing judicial protection and restraining orders. Hierarchical logistic regression models were estimated to analyze children's adjustment, considering the effect of the time elapsed since the termination, frequency of IPVE, experiences of revictimization, maternal pathology, and anxious anticipation of the mother at the prospect of future harm. Exposure to multiple events of violence at the hands of multiple ex-partners and higher scores in the mother's anxious anticipation were significant predictors of children's pathological depression and anxiety. Our results emphasize the need for early psychological evaluation of women and children's victims of IPV to provide timely interventions that avoid symptoms from becoming chronic. Strategies to bring support and emotional security to the victims after the end of the violent relationship are desirable.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Dating violence (DV) is still a global problem of enormous proportions. Scientific and social consensus highlights the necessity of performing typological analyses in order to better understand the diverse violent experiences and intervention needs of the victims. METHOD: The sample comprised 1,308 Mexican and Spanish adolescents aged between 12 and 18, who had been victims of DV. Two-step cluster analyses were performed for each country using the frequency and severity of the victimization as grouping variables, which was followed by an analysis of the differences between clusters in personal and relationship characteristics. RESULTS: The analyses suggested three clusters in both countries: Victims of psychological aggression, Victims of psychological and physical aggression, and Victims of psychological, physical, and sexual aggression. The early start of the first dating relationship and the prolonged exposure to aggression throughout different relationships were associated with the most victimized groups. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the need to start intervention strategies at a young age targeting the promotion of skills to recognize and confront violence before it is established as a pattern of coexistence with the significant other.
