Growing up in the context of intimate partner violence: Experiences and meanings for adolescents in Chile.

BACKGROUND

Growing up in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with a range of mental health problems in childhood. A recent area of research in this field considers the perspectives of children and adolescents in understanding the phenomenon of IPV.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the lived experiences of adolescents growing up in the context of IPV and the meanings they construct about the phenomenon.

PARTICIPANTS AND

SETTING

Ten adolescents (five females and five males), between 12 and 17 years old, who were attending psychosocial programs specialized in child maltreatment in Santiago, Chile.

METHODS

The data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and thematic narrative analysis.

RESULTS

The results show that many of the adolescents narrate their lived experiences of severe and chronic episodes of IPV as part of their life story, and that they continue to do so even after their parents separate. It was also found that the adolescents suffered other forms of victimizations, such as physical and sexual abuse.

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents growing up in the context of IPV are demonstrated to be not only direct victims of violence but also active agents capable of reflecting on it. The implications of children and adolescents participating in such investigations for the development of effective interventions in IPV are also discussed.