Schulz Madison L, Fogarty Alison, Giallo Rebecca, Dudfield Francine, Wood Catherine E
Swinburne University of Technology, Department of Psychological Sciences, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; School of Psychology, SEED-Lifespan Strategic Research Centre, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Child Abuse Negl. 2025 Mar;161:107270. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107270. Epub 2025 Jan 24.
Exposure to IPV can negatively impact children's social functioning. However, children exposed to IPV can also display significant strengths. The early educational environment can be a key factor promoting resilience outside of the family, with early educators in an ideal position to identify a broad range of social challenges, strengths and needs of children exposed to IPV. Despite this, no known studies have investigated early childhood educators' perspectives of the impacts of IPV on children's social functioning and their strengths. Understanding early educators' perspectives could help to provide insight into the social challenges, strengths and needs of children exposed to IPV.
The aim of this study was to understand the social functioning and strengths of children exposed to IPV from the perspective of early childhood educators.
Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 12 early educators in a caring role for children aged three to five in Victoria, Australia.
Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interviews.
The first theme identified was impacts of IPV on child development that disrupts social functioning. Subthemes included: (i) difficulties with attachment and trust, (ii) emotional distress and dysregulation, and (iii) impacts on speech and language. The second theme identified was impacts of IPV on social play and peer relationships. Subthemes were (i) disconnection from peers through withdrawal or aggression, (ii) difficulties with social skills and play, (iii) trouble building and maintaining friendships, and (iv) vulnerable to being bullied. The final theme was children's strengths with subthemes including: (i) children's capacity for curiosity and learning with trusted relationships and (ii) learned ways of coping.
This study provided a comprehensive understanding of how IPV affects children's social relationships within an early educational context. The findings also highlighted how educators can be a key relational support for children exposed to IPV which is able to facilitate their capacity to learn skills such as emotion regulation and build their ability to engage in play and friendships. Further research on educators' experiences and training needs when supporting the social functioning and strengths of children exposed to IPV is needed.
遭受亲密伴侣暴力（IPV）会对儿童的社会功能产生负面影响。然而，遭受IPV的儿童也能展现出显著的优势。早期教育环境可能是促进家庭之外复原力的关键因素，早期教育工作者处于理想位置，能够识别遭受IPV儿童面临的广泛社会挑战、优势和需求。尽管如此，尚无已知研究调查幼儿教育工作者对IPV对儿童社会功能及其优势影响的看法。了解早期教育工作者的观点有助于洞察遭受IPV儿童的社会挑战、优势和需求。
本研究旨在从幼儿教育工作者的角度了解遭受IPV儿童的社会功能和优势。
对澳大利亚维多利亚州12名担任三至五岁儿童保育工作的早期教育工作者进行了半结构化个人访谈。
采用主题分析法对访谈进行分析。
确定的第一个主题是IPV对破坏社会功能的儿童发展的影响。子主题包括：（i）依恋和信任困难，（ii）情绪困扰和失调，以及（iii）对言语和语言的影响。确定的第二个主题是IPV对社交游戏和同伴关系的影响。子主题为：（i）通过退缩或攻击与同伴脱节，（ii）社交技能和游戏困难，（iii）建立和维持友谊困难，以及（iv）易受欺凌。最后一个主题是儿童的优势，子主题包括：（i）儿童在信任关系中具有好奇心和学习的能力，以及（ii）习得的应对方式。
本研究全面了解了IPV如何在早期教育背景下影响儿童的社会关系。研究结果还强调了教育工作者如何能够成为遭受IPV儿童的关键关系支持，这有助于促进他们学习情绪调节等技能的能力，并培养他们参与游戏和建立友谊的能力。需要进一步研究教育工作者在支持遭受IPV儿童的社会功能和优势时的经验和培训需求。
