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