The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) on Parenting by Mothers Within an Ethnically Diverse Population in the Netherlands.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) profoundly affects multiple life domains for the people involved. We report on the experiences of Dutch mothers of various ethnic backgrounds regarding their parenting during and after IPV, their perceptions of the influence of IPV on their parenting, as well as their need for and experiences with support services. We conducted qualitative interviews with 100 mothers in the Netherlands who had experienced IPV. Most reported negative experiences with parenting (both during and after the IPV), a strong effect of the IPV on their parenting, as well as circumstances that aggravated this effect. The mothers had used multiple sources of formal and informal support. Although most evaluated the support that they had received positively, some also mentioned mixed or negative experiences. Many were still in need of support. Relationships with ethnic background and the severity of IPV are discussed.

Interparental Violence: Similarities and Discrepancies Between Narratives of Mothers and Their Children.

Previous studies and intervention programs on interparental violence have relied largely on reports either solely from parents or solely from children. Nevertheless, the literature and the theoretical background provide indications of the existence of discrepancies between the narratives of parents and those of children. This study therefore focuses on similarities and differences between the narratives of mothers and those of their children with regard to the children's exposure to interparental violence and its impact on child and parental functioning. In depth open interviews were conducted to assess the narratives of 36 mothers (27-59 years of age) and 43 of their children (17 boys and 26 girls; 9-25 years of age) who had experienced interparental violence in their past. A hierarchical coding system was used to code the interviews. Thereafter, the differences between mother and child narratives were analyzed based on the coded fragments. Few differences were found between the narratives with regard to parental functioning. We did find discrepancies, however, with regard to the children's exposure to interparental violence and its impact on child functioning. Exploratory analyses showed relationships between the discrepancies and the severity of the violence and age of the children. More attention to these differences is essential in order to enhance our knowledge concerning the complex impact of violence on family members and to improve support geared to their specific needs.