Consequences of exposure to domestic violence for children: A systematic review of the literature

Abstract

The aim of this study was to carry out a systematic review of the literature on the consequences of exposure to domestic violence -DV for children. The period 2005-2011 was searched in Medline, Lilacs, Scielo, Web of Science, Dialnet, Redalyc, Google Scholar and PsycInfo, using the following descriptors: intimate partner violence, domestic violence, violence descriptors (physical, sexual, psychological), and child, exposure or witness. The author, country, methodology, journal and the consequences of exposure to DV were considered. 122 articles were selected. The United States and Brazil accounted for 78.7% of the publications, with children being the main victims (51.6%). The major impacts upon childrens health were posttraumatic stress and insecurity (75.8%).