The Relationships between Perceived Systemic Family Violence and Children’s Problematic Behaviors Author:劉奕蘭 Yih-Lan Liu, 趙小玲 Hsiao-Ling Chao
Research Article
This study examined the effect of systemic family violence (e.g. marital conflict between parents, parent-child conflict, and sibling conflict) on children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors. 540 sixth grade students in East Taiwan participated in this study and were invited to fill out questionnaires of the Conflict Tactics Scales (CTSS-A form, Straus and Gelles, 1979) and the Youth Self-Report (YSR, Achenbach, 1991). 492 questionnaires were valid for analyses. The results indicated that sibling conflict is most frequent, followed by parent-child conflict. Forms of family violence can co-occur, and each type of domestic violence was significantly related to specific internal or external behavior problems. Gender and ethnicity effect were found in children’s perception of family conflict and their report of behavioral problems. Girls tended to perceive more sibling conflict and more withdrawal problems than boys. Children whose fathers were aboriginal perceived more martial conflict, father-child conflict, sibling conflict and more somatic complaints and criminal behaviors.