In this episode ‘Does minor aggression have a major impact?’ we confront a sensitive but crucial area: the effects of intimate partner violence and aggression on children.

Dr. Jane Gilmour and Professor Umar Toseeb are joined by Dr. Hedwig Eisenbarth from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, the lead author of the paper The Impact of Less Severe Intimate Partner Aggression on Child Conduct Problems, published in JCPP Advances. This paper focuses on lower levels of violence, so they use phrases like ‘minor’ or ‘less severe’. This phraseology, of course, does not imply that they are considered acceptable. 

They explore how attachment theory, social learning, and even genetic factors may intersect with a child’s experience of aggression in the home. The discussion covers the importance of the home environment, the need for intervention, and the complex challenge of studying these behaviours across different cultures.

Hedwig Eisenbarth, Karina Clavijo Saldias, Paul E. Jose, Johannes A. Karl, Karen E. Waldie