PhD defence A.L.C. (Liselotte) Loon-Dikkers

Below is a brief summary of the dissertation:

Family violence is a complex and persistent problem with adverse short- and long-term consequences for children's development, including developmental and social problems. Less is known about the role of school in children experiencing family violence, even though children spend most of their time at school in addition to their home situation. This dissertation examined the extent to which lower well-being at school among these children is related to the developmental problems they experience. The psychosocial problems of children, such as internalizing and externalizing problems, and symptoms related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were examined. Explanatory mechanisms were also examined for the association between well-being at school, psychosocial problems, and PTSD in the context of family violence.
This dissertation highlights the consequences of family violence in multiple contexts. The findings show that family dynamics, school dynamics and children’s developmental outcomes are related in the context of family violence. The findings emphasize that school should not be forgotten. Children who experience family violence are at greater risk for lower well-being at school, which may be associated with more psychosocial problems and PTSD in both the short and long term. In addition, the results show that both emotional insecurity and attachment insecurity are important mechanisms for explaining developmental problems in children exposed to family violence. Children's well-being at school should not be overlooked when family violence is experienced, as it affects children's development both in and out of school.