Marlo A. Perry

Children Exposed to Family Violence: A Review of Empirical Research from a Developmental-Ecological Perspective

This article employs the major foci of a developmental-ecological model to evaluate the past decade of research on children exposed to family violence. The foci of this framework were operationalized into a coding system that was then applied to all empirical studies published in this area since 1987. This coding system allowed for inspection of the current state of the knowledge base from this perspective and the ability to determine the progress that has been made in this research area. A total of 21 quantitative studies and 1 qualitative study were reviewed. Despite progress having been made over the past 10 years, foundational issues related to definitions of the independent variable, substantiation of exposure, developmental sensitivity, and methodology remain. The authors critique the extant literature and present recommendations for future research studies.

A Multivariate Investigation of Maternal Risks and Their Relationship to Low-Income, Preschool Children's Competencies

Utilizing a developmental-ecological framework, the purpose of this study was to understand the unique impact of multiple maternal risks across time on ethnically diverse, low-income, preschool childrens cognitive skills, pro-social behaviors, and behavior problems. Additionally, this study sought to understand the variability of maternal risks within a low-income population. Data from the national impact evaluation of the Comprehensive Child Development Program (CCDP) was used (N = 3,852). Variable-centered analyses demonstrated that maternal education accounted for the most variance in childrens cognitive outcomes, whereas chronicity of maternal depression accounted for the most variance in childrens pro-social and problem behaviors. Person-centered analyses revealed eight distinct profiles of maternal risks, demonstrating the heterogeneity of this low-income population. Further, these profiles related differentially to childrens preschool skills, indicating that different combinations of maternal risks were associated with varying outcomes for young children. Implications of study findings for early childhood practice, policy, and future research are discussed.

Domestic Violence and Children’s Presence: A Population-based Study of Law Enforcement Surveillance of Domestic Violence

The purpose of the present study was twofold: (1) to test whether law enforcement officers could reliably use a standard protocol to collect data on domestic violence events (DVEs) across a large municipality, and (2) to use these data to examine prevalence and nature of the violence and children’s presence. Reliability checks indicated that data were collected reliably on over 5,000 substantiated DVEs. Findings showed that 48% of all assaults in the municipality were DVEs. Victims were predominantly females in their early thirties, and injuries were predominantly minor and resulted from body contact. Children were present in nearly 50% of the DVEs. They were disproportionately present in domestic violence households compared to all other households in the municipality. Domestic violence households with children were more likely to have mothers and fathers involved in the violence and were disproportionately minority households headed by single females in relatively poor neighborhoods.

An Investigation of a Community-based Intervention for Socially Isolated Parents with a History of Child Maltreatment

A randomized field trial was conducted to test the effectiveness of a community-based intervention to enhance the prosocial interaction and psychological well-being of urban, Head Start parents with a history of child maltreatment. One-hundred and sixteen socially isolated parents participated. Forty of these parents had a history of child maltreatment. Maltreatment and non-maltreatment parents were assigned randomly to intervention and control conditions. The intervention involved 10 group-training sessions focusing on the relationship between stress and social support. Analyses revealed a significant main effect for the intervention group with intervention parents reporting lower levels of stress and higher levels of social activity than controls. No main effects for maltreatment status or maltreatment by intervention group interactions were found. Implications for community-based treatment were discussed.