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Individual Differences in the Use of Violent and Peaceful Behavior in Peer Conflicts Among Children Who Have and Have Not Witnessed Interparental Violence

NCJ Number
207299
Journal
Journal of Emotional Abuse Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: 2004 Pages: 101-123
Author(s)
Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill; Claudia J. Clayton; Suzanne B. Hendrix; Melanie Hunsaker
Date Published
2004
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether a child's witnessing of violence between parents/caretakers influences the child's use of tactics (violent or peaceful) in addressing conflicts with peers.
Abstract
A nonequivalent control-group design was used to compare children who had witnessed domestic violence with those who had not. Children in both groups were between the ages of 6 and 11. The children who had been exposed to interparental violence consisted of 27 males and 35 females. The "nonwitness" group had 20 males and 33 females. To assess a child's knowledge of and intention to use violent or peaceful methods in hypothetical conflict with peers, the study used Violent and Peaceful Strategies in Conflict, which presents conflict scenarios in a means-end problem solving format. To simulate various conflictual contexts, the study used the Violent and Peaceful Initiatives in Conflict instrument, which provides props, directions, and questions for each of five types of conflict. For both measures of conflict tactics, most children, particularly "nonwitness" males, were consistently peaceful; however, male witnesses of interparental violence were inconsistent and violent in both conflict formats. Female witnesses of violence proposed peaceful strategies in hypothetical conflicts, but were inconsistent and violent in simulated conflicts. Female nonwitnesses were consistent and peaceful in simulated conflicts, but were inconsistent and more violent in hypothetical conflicts. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for intervening with children from homes with domestic violence. 76 references