| Description |
This dissertation investigated discrepancies in parent and youth report of youth-witnessed violence (YWV), including the relationship between parent history of victimization and discrepancy, as well as how discrepancies in reports of YWV predict outcomes for youth. The sample included a subset of participants from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN); specifically, 854 children and their primary, female caregivers. Data were collected from parents and children at the age of 4, 8, and 12. Multivariate regression analysis was utilized to examine parent history of victimization as a predictor of discrepant reports of YWV between youth and caregivers. Polynomial regression and response surface analyses were further conducted to understand the relationship between discrepancies in parent and youth reports of YWV as they relate to concurrent and distal internalizing, externalizing, and trauma symptoms, total problems, and youth delinquency. Results indicated that youth reported witnessing significantly more incidents of violence than their parents reported. Additionally, there was support for a significant but small relationship between parents with victimization history and subsequent discrepancies in YWV. Specifically, parents with trauma histories reported greater YWV exposure relative to their children’s reports. With respect to concurrent outcomes associated with discrepancies, results indicated that youth fared the worst (i.e., highest internalizing, externalizing, total problems, and trauma symptoms) when parent and youth agreed and reported high exposure to YWV. When it came to discrepancy, the relationship was significant and negative, indicating that when parents and youth disagreed (i.e., greater discrepancy), parent symptom ratings decreased. When youth reported higher exposure relative to parents, youth reported more posttraumatic stress symptoms. For longitudinal outcomes, these relationships did not hold up and there were no statistically significant relationships between parent-youth discrepancy of YWV at age 8 and parent-reported youth outcomes at age 12. The study provided evidence that parent history of victimization may play a role in discrepancies and warrants further investigation. Additionally, the study suggested that discrepancy matters for understanding youth concurrent functioning and highlights the need to gather multisource data in research and clinical settings. |
