Witnessing the murder of their mother: Gender differences and psychological and behavioral consequences in orphans from Intimate Partner Violence

Purpose. The aim of the present study was twofold: (a) investigating the psychological and behavioral consequences in children orphaned by intimate partner femicide (IPF), and (b) examining the role of sex as a potential individual risk factor, also in interaction with the presence (vs. no presence) of orphans during the fatal event, which represents a high-risk contextual factor in the development of psychological and behavioral consequences. Method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with caregivers of 62 children and adolescent orphans of IPF victims. Psychological and behavioral consequences were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). A 2 × 2 analysis of variance was performed on each scale of the CBCL, simultaneously considering the effect of sex and presence (vs. no presence) during the fatal event, while controlling for children’s age at the time of the murder. Results. Regardless of sex, a main effect of presence during the fatal event was found for internalizing problems, specifically in the “Anxious/Depressed” and “Withdrawn” scales. A sex effect emerged for the “Somatic complaints” scale, with girls showing higher scores than boys, regardless of presence during the fatal event. Moreover, compared to boys, girls who witnessed the violent death showed higher scores in the “Rule-breaking” and “Aggressive” scales, as well as greater overall externalizing problems. Conclusions. These findings highlight the severe psychological and behavioral consequences faced by orphans of IPF, especially for girls exposed to the fatal event. Understanding these consequences is essential for developing effective support interventions and preventing secondary victimization.