Season 5 Episode 7: Childhood Domestic Violence Exposure Is “Pivotal”: An Interview with Professor Higgins

About This Episode

The recent groundbreaking population-based study of child maltreatment in Australia found exposure to domestic violence is the most common form of maltreatment. In this interview with Professor Daryl Higgins, one of the studies’ chief investigators, David and Ruth discuss the domestic abuse–specific results including how they intersect with other forms of  maltreatments and other adverse experiences to produce health and other challenges in adults. 

Some of the key results discussed include:

  • What was learned about childhood maltreatment, and its connection to health outcomes in adults, in this study of 8,500 Australians 

  • How domestic violence is present in the five most common clusters of overlapping types of maltreatment 

  • How men were more likely to report smoking and cannabis use as result of childhood exposure to domestic violence

  • How women were more likely to report self harm, suicide attempts, and obesity as a result of childhood exposure of domestic violence  

  • How female and gender-diverse children were more likely to experience childhood exposure to domestic violence 

Read about the study: https://www.acms.au

Read more about resources and publications from the Institute of Child Protection Studies for adopting a public health approach to protecting children: https://www.acu.edu.au/icps/public-health

Additional Resources

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Season 5 Episode 8: The Myth of the Domestic Violence Incident

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Season 5 Episode 6: This Work is Sacred: An Interview with Beth Ann Morhardt