UPI covered the research of SMU psychologists Ernest Jouriles, Renee McDonald, David Rosenfield and Deborah Corbitt-Shindler in a July 30 story "Abusive mothers can improve parenting."
The research found that abusive mothers, who are taught parenting skills and given emotional support, can improve their parenting skills, the researchers say.
Each year, U.S. child welfare agencies log more than 3 million reports of child abuse and neglect involving nearly 6 million children.
There are many types of services to address child abuse but very little scientific data about whether the services actually work, according to SMU psychologists Ernest Jouriles and Renee McDonald.
If children feel threatened by even very low levels of violence between their parents, they may be at increased risk for developing trauma symptoms, new research suggests.
A study by SMU psychologists found that children who witness violence between their mother and her intimate partner report fewer trauma symptoms if they don't perceive the violence as threatening. The research highlights the importance of assessing how threatened a child feels when his or her parents are violent toward one another.