Family Law News

The Effects Of Domestic Violence On Children's Development And Family Functioning

The $2.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Mental Health was awarded recently to principal investigator Patrick Davies of the Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology and co-principal investigator Dante Cicchetti, director of the Mt. Hope Family Center and Shirley Cox Kearns Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Pediatrics at the University of Rochester. Called Project Future ( Families Understanding Toddlers'Unique Relationship Experiences ), the investigators and a staff of research assistants will follow 250 two-year-olds and their mothers over a two-year period. Because of the devastating effects of domestic violence on children, families, and society, researchers need to gather more information about how and why children exposed to domestic violence are at an increased risk for experiencing mental illness.

The researchers will specifically examine children's development within the framework of emotional security theory. The main assumption of the theory is that domestic violence and accompanying functioning of the family increase child vulnerability to mental illness by undermining the child's sense of security and safety in the family. Parenting abilities, interpersonal relationships, and family characteristics also will be studied to determine the impact they may have on a child's mental health and general functioning when a child is exposed to domestic violence. Both psychological and biological ( neuroendocrine ) functioning of the children will be examined. The results will be used to inform social policy and prevention initiatives for young children and families.

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	Did You Know?
	You may be able to leave your pension to your spouse or child. In general, if you are married, your spouse is entitled to a portion of your pension if you die first. There is some cost to that, however, that usually serves to reduce the monthly retirement payments you would have received if the benefits were to be paid just during your lifetime. If you and your spouse agree, you can waive this survivor benefit protection, and/or sometimes name some other person(s) (such as a child) as your beneficiary. Consult with your family lawyer and review the plan summary carefully to find out your rights and responsibilities in this area.