Examining the Impact of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy on Intimate Partner Violence
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Date
2022-10-26
Authors
Woodlee, Kyndl
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Rates of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Child Maltreatment (CM) co-occur in 30-60% of all households, and yet there are few interventions that account for and address the family contextual factors that contribute to both (Appel & Holden, 1998; Dixon et al., 2007; Edleson, 1999; Foley, 2011). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is one of the most empirically validated interventions shown to reduce CM (Skowron & Funderbunk, 2021), especially for high-risk families. PCIT targets two factors that impact CM and IPV risk: self-regulation and communication skills. The aims of this current dissertation study, therefore, were to explore the effects of PCIT on IPV frequency for families with a history of CM. It was hypothesized that caregivers assigned to PCIT would have a lower frequency of IPV behaviors in comparison to a services-as-usual (SAU) control group. Existing data were collected from caregivers (N = 204) and their children as part of a longitudinal randomized controlled trial called the Coaching Alternative Parenting Strategies Project (CAPS; Skowron, 2019, R01 DA036533). Zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression analyses showed that (a) assignment to PCIT did not significantly reduce IPV perpetration or victimization regardless of past IPV history compared with SAU and (b) caregiver age and income did not significantly impact IPV perpetration or victimization regardless of treatment group or past IPV history. This was just the second study to examine the effect of PCIT on IPV and the first to do so with a sample this size and with families receiving individual PCIT treatment that could be modified for their needs, as opposed to a standardized group treatment. Limitations include that the sample did not have enough gender diversity to explore outcomes by gender identity and use of verbal self-report to collect IPV data.
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Keywords
Family Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Prevention