AUTHOR=Alcántara-López Mavi , Castro Maravillas , Martínez-Pérez Antonia , Fernández Visitación , Negrón-Medina Kaveri , López-Soler Concepción TITLE=Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence During Confinement: Characteristics by Age and Sex JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology VOLUME=13 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.889697 DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2022.889697 ISSN=1664-1078 ABSTRACT=

The COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions imposed to stop its advance have affected the entire population. Children living with difficulties or in vulnerable situations prior to the pandemic might have suffered an even greater impact. This present study examines the psychological impact of quarantine on children and adolescents exposed to intimate partner violence against their mothers. Participants were 185 mothers who reported 269 children, as well as 108 children who self-reported. An emotional and behavioral checklist was administered to both mothers and children throughout confinement. Results show mothers observed changes in their children’s psychological state. Children, in turn, reported an increase in different variables. Mothers reported a higher percentage of overall increase for both general and severe symptoms than their children. Differences were found by sex and age. Future research with similar population groups is necessary to establish the support and intervention children require in similar contexts, as well as to clarify possible causes of differences found by age and sex.