Daily HealthBeat Tip - February 05, 2007

Parents' fights

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Witnessing violence or heated family arguments hurts children. They're more likely to have emotional or behavior problems, and to be in an abusive relationship as adults.

But national survey data show 42 percent of children had that at home. For most, it was shouting-type arguments. For 10 percent, parents were being violent – hitting, or throwing things.

The study in the American Academy of Pediatrics journal Pediatrics was supported by HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration. At the University of South Carolina, researcher Janice Probst says parents can find help:

"I would advise them to get friends and support. Parents who say that their community has people in it who can help them with their children are less likely to engage in violent or heated argument than parents who don't see that in their community." (13 seconds)

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: February, 16 2007