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Witnessing and experiencing domestic violence: a descriptive study of adolescents
Author(s) -
Lepistö Sari,
Luukkaala Tiina,
Paavilainen Eija
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of caring sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.678
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1471-6712
pISSN - 0283-9318
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-6712.2010.00792.x
Subject(s) - domestic violence , aggression , corporal punishment , psychology , cycle of violence , poison control , clinical psychology , suicide prevention , medicine , developmental psychology , social psychology , medical emergency
Scand J Caring Sci; 2011; 25; 70–80
Witnessing and experiencing domestic violence: a descriptive study of adolescentsObjective: The aim of the study was to describe the experiences of different types of domestic violence among adolescents and associations between the family background and different types of domestic violence. Methods: The survey included 1393 ninth‐graders from one Finnish municipality. Results: Domestic violence is fairly common in the lives of adolescents. Sixty‐seven percent of respondents had experienced parental symbolic aggression, 55% mild violence and 9% severe violence during their childhood. Twelve percent of adolescents had witnessed parent‐to‐parent violence. Witnessing domestic violence and exposure to parental violence is associated with a number of adolescents’ background factors such as self‐perceived health, satisfaction with life, family relationships, parenting practice, school bullying and sexual activity. Conclusions: The findings stress the relevance of corporal punishment and witnessing domestic violence as a risk factor for more severe domestic violence and sexual abuse. Different types of domestic violence have a major effect on adolescent well‐being and risk behaviours. To break the negative cycle, nurses and other professionals working with adolescents in different settings should pay attention to all forms of violence, including the milder ones.