Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence, Psychopathology, and Functional Impairment in Children and Adolescents: Moderator Effect of Sex and Age

This work examines the moderator effect of sex and age on the relationship between different types of exposure to intimate
partner violence (IPV) and child psychopathology and functional impairment. One hundred and sixty-six Spanish children aged
4 –17 years exposed to intimate partner violence were assessed using a diagnostic interview and other instruments for the
measurement of psychopathology and functional impairment. Participants were classified in three groups according to the degree
of exposure: witness (N = 77), involved (N = 63) and victim (N = 26). According to mothers’ self-reports and mother-child combined information, boy victims of IPV showed more mood disorders
than involved or witness boys. There were no other moderator effects of either sex or age. The effect of exposure to intimate
partner violence among children was not dependent, in general, on the child’s sex or age, and this has important implications
for the assessment, treatment, and prevention of children’s exposure to IPV.