Psychological disorders in children exposed to intimate partner violence: prevalence and gender and age differences.

Background: Children's exposure to intimate partner violence against women it is a kind of child maltreatment and it carries very negative psychological consequences. This work shows the prevalences and characteristics of eight empirical syndromes in exposed children. Method: A. number of 91 exposed children to intimate partner violence were assessed through the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) in a Psychological Intervention Program. The results are analyzed and eight empirical syndromes prevalences total sample, by gender and age compared to normal population. Results: The children exposed to intimate partner violence show higher prevalence in all syndromes than normal population. The clinical prevalence of syndromes can become 10 times higher than normal population. Moreover, girls and younger children show higher prevalences. Conclusions: Children's exposure to intimate partner violence can cause important psychological consequences what impacts in welfare, mental health and how the child develops psychologically. Therefore, it's necessary to address this important social problem.