Children and Domestic Violence
The latest of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence has a fascinating study about the effect of domestic violence on children. It included a small sample, and needs to be replicated, but it is the first major study to look at the effect of the relationship between a child who witnesses domestic violence and the perpetrator. It found no significant difference in regard to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but found that children with multiple father figures showed significantly more troublesome behaviors.
One of the most controversial questions I encounter in litigation involving children is predicting the costs of future mental health treatment. Everyone agrees that children who have suffered a trauma need therapy, but few people agree on what sort of therapy or how much. The 