Young children’s experiences of participating in group treatment for children exposed
to intimate partner violence: A qualitative study
Karin Pernebo¹, Mats Fridell¹² and Kjerstin Almqvist³
¹Department of Psychology, Linnaeus University, Sweden
²Department of Psychology, Lund University, Sweden
³Department of Psychology, Karlstad University, Sweden
The risk of exposure to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) between caregivers is increased
during early childhood. The adverse effects on the health and development of the youngest
children may be severe. Effective and promising interventions for children who have
experienced IPV have been developed and evaluated. However, there is a lack in knowledge
about how the children themselves experience the interventions.
The aim of this study was to elucidate young children’s own experiences of participating in
a group-treatment designed to improve their psychological health in the aftermath of family
violence. Nine children, ages four to six, were interviewed after participating in group-programs
specifically designed for children who have been exposed to intimate partner violence. A
semi-structured interviewguide with open-ended questions was used. The interviews were transcribed
and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis toensure focus on the children’s
own views and experiences.
Five master themes embracing the children’s experiences were identified:
Joy - positive emotional experience of participation; Security - feeling safe; Relatedness -
relations within the group; To talk – externalized focus on the violence; and Competence –
new knowledge and skills. Theoretical and clinical implications and the benefit