Skip to main content
Public Health Reports logoLink to Public Health Reports
. 1995 May-Jun;110(3):268–276.

Survey of exposure to violence among the children of migrant and seasonal farm workers.

S L Martin 1, T E Gordon 1, J B Kupersmidt 1
PMCID: PMC1382117  PMID: 7610214

Abstract

Numerous children of migrant and seasonal farm workers live in rural areas of our country. The lifestyles and living conditions of farm workers place the children of these families at high risk for many health problems. However, few studies have focused on the emotional and behavioral well-being of these children. This study extends past research by examining the emotional and behavioral health of the children of farm workers in relation to a potentially risky environmental exposure, namely, exposure to violence. In this descriptive study, the extent of violence exposure, including being a witness to and a victim of violence, is examined among 8-11-year-old children of migrant and seasonal farm workers. Potential relationships between sociodemographic factors and violence exposure are examined, and associations between violence exposure and children's emotional and behavioral problems, and weapon carrying behavior are investigated. The results show that more than half of the study children had been exposed to violence, with 46 percent having witnessed violence among others and 19 percent having been the direct victims of violence. There was a fair degree of overlap between having witnessed violence and having been a victim of violence; 13 percent of all study children both witnessed and had been victims of violence, 33 percent only had witnessed violence, and 6 percent only had been victims of violence. Violence exposure was positively related to children's emotional problems, behavioral problems, and weapon carrying behavior.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Full text

PDF
268

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Achenbach T. M., McConaughy S. H., Howell C. T. Child/adolescent behavioral and emotional problems: implications of cross-informant correlations for situational specificity. Psychol Bull. 1987 Mar;101(2):213–232. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Allen D. M., Tarnowski K. J. Depressive characteristics of physically abused children. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 1989 Feb;17(1):1–11. doi: 10.1007/BF00910766. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bell C. C., Jenkins E. J. Community violence and children on Chicago's southside. Psychiatry. 1993 Feb;56(1):46–54. doi: 10.1080/00332747.1993.11024620. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. COLES R. THE LIVES OF MIGRANT FARMERS. Am J Psychiatry. 1965 Sep;122:271–285. doi: 10.1176/ajp.122.3.271. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Ciesielski S., Handzel T., Sobsey M. The microbiologic quality of drinking water in North Carolina migrant labor camps. Am J Public Health. 1991 Jun;81(6):762–764. doi: 10.2105/ajph.81.6.762. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ciesielski S., Loomis D. P., Mims S. R., Auer A. Pesticide exposures, cholinesterase depression, and symptoms among North Carolina migrant farmworkers. Am J Public Health. 1994 Mar;84(3):446–451. doi: 10.2105/ajph.84.3.446. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Elmer E. A follow-up study of traumatized children. Pediatrics. 1977 Feb;59(2):273–279. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Emery R. E. Family violence. Am Psychol. 1989 Feb;44(2):321–328. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.44.2.321. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fantuzzo J. W., DePaola L. M., Lambert L., Martino T., Anderson G., Sutton S. Effects of interparental violence on the psychological adjustment and competencies of young children. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1991 Apr;59(2):258–265. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.59.2.258. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. George C., Main M. Social interactions of young abused children: approach, avoidance, and aggression. Child Dev. 1979 Jun;50(2):306–318. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Guendelman S., Schwalbe J. Medical care utilization by Hispanic children. How does it differ from black and white peers? Med Care. 1986 Oct;24(10):925–940. doi: 10.1097/00005650-198610000-00006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Henggeler S. W., Tavormina J. B. The children of Mexican-American migrant workers: a population at risk? J Abnorm Child Psychol. 1978 Mar;6(1):97–106. doi: 10.1007/BF00915785. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hershorn M., Rosenbaum A. Children of marital violence: a closer look at the unintended victims. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1985 Apr;55(2):260–266. doi: 10.1111/j.1939-0025.1985.tb03440.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Holden G. W., Ritchie K. L. Linking extreme marital discord, child rearing, and child behavior problems: evidence from battered women. Child Dev. 1991 Apr;62(2):311–327. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1991.tb01533.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hughes H. M. Psychological and behavioral correlates of family violence in child witnesses and victims. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1988 Jan;58(1):77–90. doi: 10.1111/j.1939-0025.1988.tb01568.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Jacobson M. L., Mercer M. A., Miller L. K., Simpson T. W. Tuberculosis risk among migrant farm workers on the Delmarva peninsula. Am J Public Health. 1987 Jan;77(1):29–32. doi: 10.2105/ajph.77.1.29. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Jaffe P., Wolfe D., Wilson S. K., Zak L. Family violence and child adjustment: a comparative analysis of girls' and boys' behavioral symptoms. Am J Psychiatry. 1986 Jan;143(1):74–77. doi: 10.1176/ajp.143.1.74. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Jaffe P., Wolfe D., Wilson S., Zak L. Similarities in behavioral and social maladjustment among child victims and witnesses to family violence. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1986 Jan;56(1):142–146. doi: 10.1111/j.1939-0025.1986.tb01551.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kaufman J. Depressive disorders in maltreated children. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1991 Mar;30(2):257–265. doi: 10.1097/00004583-199103000-00014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Kazdin A. E., Moser J., Colbus D., Bell R. Depressive symptoms among physically abused and psychiatrically disturbed children. J Abnorm Psychol. 1985 Aug;94(3):298–307. doi: 10.1037//0021-843x.94.3.298. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Kinard E. M. Emotional development in physically abused children. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1980 Oct;50(4):686–696. doi: 10.1111/j.1939-0025.1980.tb03332.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Martinez P., Richters J. E. The NIMH community violence project: II. Children's distress symptoms associated with violence exposure. Psychiatry. 1993 Feb;56(1):22–35. doi: 10.1080/00332747.1993.11024618. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Mobed K., Gold E. B., Schenker M. B. Occupational health problems among migrant and seasonal farm workers. West J Med. 1992 Sep;157(3):367–373. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Osofsky J. D., Wewers S., Hann D. M., Fick A. C. Chronic community violence: what is happening to our children? Psychiatry. 1993 Feb;56(1):36–45. doi: 10.1080/00332747.1993.11024619. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Palerm J. V. A season in the life of a migrant farm worker in California. West J Med. 1992 Sep;157(3):362–366. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Ratcliffe S. D., Lee J., Lutz L. J., Woolley F. R., Baxter S., Civish F., Johnson M. Lead toxicity and iron deficiency in Utah migrant children. Am J Public Health. 1989 May;79(5):631–633. doi: 10.2105/ajph.79.5.631. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Richters J. E., Martinez P. The NIMH community violence project: I. Children as victims of and witnesses to violence. Psychiatry. 1993 Feb;56(1):7–21. doi: 10.1080/00332747.1993.11024617. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Rosenbaum A., O'Leary K. D. Children: the unintended victims of marital violence. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1981 Oct;51(4):692–699. doi: 10.1111/j.1939-0025.1981.tb01416.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Slesinger D. P., Christenson B. A., Cautley E. Health and mortality of migrant farm children. Soc Sci Med. 1986;23(1):65–74. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(86)90325-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Starr R. H., Jr Child abuse. Am Psychol. 1979 Oct;34(10):872–878. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.34.10.872. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Watkins E. L., Larson K., Harlan C., Young S. A model program for providing health services for migrant farmworker mothers and children. Public Health Rep. 1990 Nov-Dec;105(6):567–575. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Wolfe D. A., Jaffe P., Wilson S. K., Zak L. Children of battered women: the relation of child behavior to family violence and maternal stress. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1985 Oct;53(5):657–665. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.53.5.657. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Wolfe D. A., Zak L., Wilson S., Jaffe P. Child witnesses to violence between parents: critical issues in behavioral and social adjustment. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 1986 Mar;14(1):95–104. doi: 10.1007/BF00917225. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. de Leon Siantz M. L. The Mexican-American migrant farmworker family. Mental health issues. Nurs Clin North Am. 1994 Mar;29(1):65–72. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Public Health Reports are provided here courtesy of SAGE Publications

RESOURCES