This study analyzed the consequences of
childhood exposure to intimate partner violence. The researchers for
this study attempted to make four contributions: (1) provide theory
driven research in the field of intimate partner violence, (2) do
practical research, (3) strike a balance between the resolution of
measurement problems and the examination of concrete outcomes, and (4)
use high quality data and advanced statistical techniques to
adjudicate between conflicting findings in existing literature.
The PHDCN data were collected to be representative of neighborhoods
in Chicago. The data from the PHDCN was chosen for this project
because of this representative quality of the sample frame, the large
sample size, and the longitudinal nature allowed the same child to be
compared at different ages.
The nine data files used in this study were
drawn from multiple imputed iterations using the
Expectation-Maximization (E.M.) algorithm and data augmentation to
address missing data. They included data from the first two waves of
the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) with
4,955 records for each wave. The data included information for
subjects aged 0 to 18 and covered the years 1994 to 2000.
The researcher used Straus and Gelles' Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS)
(see PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS (PHDCN):
CONFLICT TACTICS SCALE FOR PARTNER AND SPOUSE, WAVE 1, 1994-1997
[ICPSR 13583]) for the child's mother and her partner to measure
domestic violence exposure. The researcher measured child outcomes
using several scales. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children
(WISC) (see PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS
(PHDCN): WECHSLER INTELLIGENCE SCALE FOR CHILDREN-REVISED, WAVE 1,
1994-1997 [ICPSR 13604], and PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO
NEIGHBORHOODS (PHDCN): WECHSLER INTELLIGENCE SCALE FOR
CHILDREN-REVISED, WAVE 2, 1997-2000 [ICPSR 13664]) and the child's
grades were used to measure the impact of exposure on the child's
cognitive functioning. Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
(see PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS (PHDCN):
CHILD BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST, WAVE 1, 1994-1997 (ICPSR 13582) and PROJECT
ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS (PHDCN): CHILD BEHAVIOR
CHECKLIST, WAVE 2, 1997-2000 [ICPSR 13611]) and questions about child
truancy, grade repetition, and drug use were used to assess the
behavioral impact of exposure to domestic violence. Anxiety was
measured by the anxiety sub-scale of the CBCL. The parent-child
relationship was measured by selected questions from the Home
Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) scale (see
PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS (PHDCN): HOME
OBSERVATION FOR MEASUREMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, WAVE 1, 1994-1997
[ICPSR 13594]).
For this study, the researcher defined domestic violence as the use
of physical force (for example, forcible restraint, slapping, shoving,
throwing objects at, hitting, kicking, biting, burning, sexual
assault, or murder) or threat of the same against an intimate partner
(someone with whom the perpetrator was involved in a romantic or
sexual relationship for at least a month). Additionally, exposure to
domestic violence was defined as cohabitation with a primary caregiver
who was a perpetrator or victim of domestic violence. The definition
of childhood included aged 0 to 18.
Stratified probability sample.
Children, adolescents, young adults, and their primary
caregivers, living in the city of Chicago in 1994-2000.
individual
PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS
(PHDCN): WECHSLER INTELLIGENCE SCALE FOR CHILDREN-REVISED, WAVE 1,
1994-1997 (ICPSR 13604)
PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS
(PHDCN): CONFLICT TACTICS FOR PARENT AND CHILD, WAVE 1, 1994-1997
(ICPSR 13584)
PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS
(PHDCN): HOME AND LIFE INTERVIEW, WAVE 2, 1997-2000 (ICPSR 13630)
PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS
(PHDCN): CHILD BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST, WAVE 2, 1997-2000 (ICPSR 13611)
PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS
(PHDCN): DEVIANCE OF PEERS, WAVE 1, 1994-1997 (ICPSR 13585)
PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS
(PHDCN): SELF REPORT OF OFFENDING, WAVE 1, 1994-1997 (ICPSR 13601)
PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS
(PHDCN): CHILD BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST, WAVE 1, 1994-1997 (ICPSR 13582)
PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS
(PHDCN): SUBSTANCE USE, WAVE 1, 1994-1997 (ICPSR 13602)
PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS
(PHDCN): CONFLICT TACTICS SCALE FOR PARTNER AND SPOUSE, WAVE 1,
1994-1997 (ICPSR 13583)
PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS
(PHDCN): SCHOOL SCREEN, WAVE 1, 1994-1997 (ICPSR 13600)
PROJECT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS
(PHDCN): MASTER FILE, WAVE 1, 1994-1997 (ICPSR 13580)
survey data
face-to-face interview
telephone interview
Data include the variables that the researcher used
to study the effect of domestic violence exposure on not only
externalizing, internalizing, and total behavior problems, and
academic and cognitive ability, but also truancy, grade repetition,
and drug use. This study also contains a selection of variables from
several PHDCN studies including those pertaining to intimate partner
violence, child abuse, juvenile delinquency, deviance of peers,
alcohol use, primary caregiver involvement in the subject's life, and
demographics.
Not applicable.
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Achenbach's Child
Behavior Checklist, Home Observation for Measurement of the
Environment, Provisions of Social Relations, Deviance of Peers Scale,
Conflict Tactics Scale, and Child Conflict Tactics Scale.