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Perceived Quality of Life and Health Complaints in Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence

  • RESEARCH ON CHILDREN’S EXPOSURE TO IPV
  • Published:
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Abstract

Children 9 to 13 years old exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) reported on their violence exposure, attachment to both parents, temperament (negative emotionality and emotion regulation), perceived quality of life, and health complaints. Half of the children perceived their quality of life as good and did not have recurrent health complaints. When controlling for socioeconomic status, health complaints were associated with higher IPV exposure and negative emotionality, whereas quality of life was associated with attachment security, higher capacity for emotion regulation, and lower negative emotionality. These results underscore the importance of increasing and supporting the capacity of children exposed to IPV to handle and express their emotions, as well as making school nurses and other primary care practitioners more attentive to IPV as a possible background factor in children’s health complaints.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Gothenburg University, Box 500, Gothenburg, Vastergotland, 405 30, Sweden

    Karin K. Grip, Ulf Axberg & Anders G. Broberg

  2. Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden

    Kjerstin Almqvist

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  1. Karin K. Grip
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  2. Kjerstin Almqvist
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Correspondence to Karin K. Grip.

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This study was funded by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare.

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Grip, K.K., Almqvist, K., Axberg, U. et al. Perceived Quality of Life and Health Complaints in Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence. J Fam Viol 29, 681–692 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-014-9622-5

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