KNIVES, GUNS, AND INTERPARENT VIOLENCE - RELATIONS WITH CHILD-BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

Behavior problems were examined across 3 groups of children (8-12 year s of age), living in families characterized by recent physical spousal violence. The groups were (a) 47 children who reported observing mari tal violence that included the threat or use of knives or guns (observ ed); (b) 57 children who did not report witnessing marital violence in volving knives or guns but whose mothers reported that violence involv ing knives or guns had occurred in a recent marital dispute (occurred) ; and (c) 51 children who did not report witnessing marital violence i nvolving knives or guns and whose mothers also reported no violence in volving knives or guns (neither). Children in the observed group displ ayed higher levels of behavior problems than did children in the neith er group, hut they did not differ from children in the occurred group. Children in the occurred group also displayed higher levels of behavi or problems than did children in the neither group.