Are children exposed to interparental violence being psychologically maltreated?

Research on childhood witnessing of interparental violence is reviewed. Evi dence is presented as to the severe developmental damages the witnessing co victims often sustain. These include: depression, anxiety, cognitive proble ms, delinquency, and proneness to violence and victimization Parental failu re to shield children from such traumatizing experiences constitutes child maltreatment in that it exposes the victims to (a) terrorizing, and (b) mis socializing by corrupting models. Psychological maltreatment is even more p otentially damaging than direct physical abuse or neglect alone. In Eight o f the ambiguity in defining caregiver acts of psychological maltreatment, c ases in which children have regularly watched wife battering are easier to identify than other forms of psychological maltreatment. Child protection a gencies must give priority to responding to cases of psychological maltreat ment of children. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.