The mental health of children who witness domestic violence
Abstract
There is now considerable evidence that witnessing domestic violence can have adverse consequences for children. Our aim is to present the socio‐demographic correlates of children witnessing domestic violence and its association with childhood mental disorders. The biographic, socio‐demographic and socio‐economic characteristics of 7865 children and their families and measures of traumatic events including witnessing domestic violence were entered into a logistic regression analysis to establish the strength of association between witnessing severe domestic violence and childhood disorders. About 4% of children had witnessed severe domestic violence according to parent reports. Factors independently associated with a greater likelihood of a child witnessing domestic violence were: older age group, mixed ethnicity, physical disorder, several children in family, divorced parents, living in rented accommodation, poor neighbourhoods, the mother's emotional state and family dysfunction. Witnessing severe domestic violence almost tripled the likelihood of children having conduct disorder but was not independently associated with emotional disorders. There is a growing need for more research on the consequences of witnessing domestic violence to increase the awareness of social workers and policy‐makers to identify the needs of children who witness domestic violence.
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The psychosocial outcomes of children witnessing domestic violence were not significantly different from those of physically abused children.
“In fact, 'the psychosocial outcomes of children witnessing domestic violence were not significantly different from those of physically abused children' (Meltzer et al., 2009, p. 492).”
From A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (2014) · cites this paper as Meltzer et al., 2009
Witnessing IPV was the third most frequently reported trauma for children in the British sample.
“witnessing IPV was the third most frequently reported trauma for children”
From A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (2014) · cites this paper as Meltzer et al., 2009
Of the children who witnessed severe domestic violence, 30% also experienced another traumatic event.
“Of the children who witnessed severe domestic violence, 30% also experienced another traumatic event”
From A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (2014) · cites this paper as Meltzer et al., 2009
In a British sample of 7,865 children, 4.3% (n = 340) had witnessed severe incidents of domestic violence.
“Data collected on 7,865 children and their families by the British Office for National Statistics found that 4.3% ( n = 340) of these children had witnessed severe incidents of domestic violence”
From A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (2014) · cites this paper as Meltzer et al., 2009
Children who were exposed to IPV had significantly worse outcomes than those who were not so exposed.
“A meta-analysis of 118 studies on psychosocial variables by Meltzer et al. (2009) demonstrated that children who were exposed to IPV had significantly worse outcomes than those who were not so exposed.”
From A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (2014) · cites this paper as Meltzer et al., 2009
Meltzer et al. (2009) noted a higher risk of developing PTSD with measured IPV in the home.
“and Meltzer et al. (2009) also noted the higher risk of developing PTSD with measured IPV in the home.”
From A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (2014) · cites this paper as Meltzer et al., 2009
Meltzer et al. (2009) revealed that witnessing severe domestic violence almost tripled the likelihood of children having conduct disorder.
“witnessing severe domestic violence almost tripled the likelihood of children having conduct disorder”
From A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (2014) · cites this paper as Meltzer et al., 2009
According to Meltzer et al. (2009), children who have witnessed severe incidents of domestic violence are almost three times as likely to develop conduct disorders (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.79-3.92, p < 0.001).
“according to Meltzer et al. (2009), children who have witnessed severe incidents of domestic violence are almost three times as likely to develop conduct disorders (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.79-3.92, p < 0.001, Meltzer et al., 2009).”
From A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (2014) · cites this paper as Meltzer et al., 2009
Meltzer et al. (2009) revealed that witnessing severe domestic violence was not independently associated with emotional disorders.
“but was not independently associated with emotional disorders”
From A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (2014) · cites this paper as Meltzer et al., 2009
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Self-citationChildren's witnessing of adult domestic violence
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Beyond “Witnessing”: Children’s Experiences of Coercive Control in Domestic Violence and Abuse
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Support by trained mentor mothers for abused women: a promising intervention in primary care
Prosman, G.-J., Lo Fo Wong, S. H., & Lagro-Janssen, A. L. (2014) · Family Practice · doi:10.1093/fampra/cmt058 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
The mental health of children exposed to intimate partner violence: A systematic literature review
Asiedu, E., & Baliki, A. V. A. (2025) · Developmental Child Welfare · doi:10.1177/25161032251324862 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Meltzer, H., Doos, L., Vostanis, P., Ford, T., & Goodman, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Leicester (GB)
- University of Exeter (GB)
- King's College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Meltzer, Howard
- Venue
- Child & Family Social Work
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2009-10-05
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 491-501
- ISSN
- 1356-7500 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2206
- OpenAlex
- W2009963241
- Cited by
- 174
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 5.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Child & Family Social Work (publishedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Leicester Research Archive (University of Leicester) (submittedVersion)
- University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Intimate Partner and Family Violence
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- witnessing domestic violence, child mental health, child psychopathology, conduct disorder, emotional disorders, sociodemographic correlates, family dysfunction, parental divorce, neighborhood disadvantage, trauma exposure
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