PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

Research in post-war communities has repeatedly found high levels of violence against children leading to the assumption that children in the aftermath of mass trauma are more likely to experience interpersonal violence. Understanding this specific phenomenon is crucial in order to stop the continuation of child maltreatment. Catani (2010, 2018) has developed a model on the transmission of mass trauma to violence against children on which the present work is based on. The present thesis focused on investigating the predictors of violence against children in the aftermath of mass trauma. Furthermore, the effects of positive parenting on children’s mental health in such regions were investigated assuming that poor mental health of children may be a risk factor for the experience of violence. We conducted three studies within a Tamil population in northern Sri Lanka which tragically represent a prototypical example of a region that had been shattered by a long-lasting war as well as a major natural disaster. In order to understand the complex interplay of factors that contribute to violence against children in the aftermath of mass trauma, we first focused on the prevalence rate and risk factors of violence against children living in families. Here, we investigated dyadic and triadic interactions that may lead to the victimization of children and the parental perpetration of violence against children. Second, we focused on the risk factors of violence against children living outside their families in order to reveal child-related factors that may contribute to their victimization within the institution. Finally, we examined the potential positive effect of parental care on children’s mental health in the aftermath of mass trauma. These three main analyses constitute the manuscripts of the cumulative dissertation. The presented results not only corroborate previous findings, but also provide further information on the development and continuation of violence against children in the aftermath of mass trauma. The result of the first and second study strengthen both pathways suggested by Catani (2010, 2018): Firstly, parents living in the context of mass trauma may subsequently suffer from psychological impairment and dysfunctional coping strategies such as substance abuse which may increase the likelihood of perpetrating violence against their children. Secondly, children affected by mass trauma may suffer from psychological impairments which may make them more vulnerable to experience violence. The third study revealed parental care as a protective factor that moderates the relationship between mass trauma and children’s mental health. Findings of the studies are discussed and conclusions and implications for further research and clinical practice are derived.