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Domestic violence
An individual that has been exposed to domestic violence is predisposed to the development of PTSD. However, being exposed to a traumatic experience does not automatically indicate that an individual will develop PTSD. Research concerning the role of domestic violence in the development of PTSD is primarily focused on the relationship between mother and child, which omits the father-child relationship. The focus on the mother-child relationship has resulted in a over focus on the maternal interaction with children and PTSD. Researchers that focus on domestic violence have historically sampled from low-income households and shelters due to the high visibility of women and children seeking refuge from violent situations. Living in shelters can lead to additional stress and may have further impact on the mental health of the mother and child.

There is a strong association between the development of PTSD in mothers that experienced domestic violence during the perinatal period of their pregnancy. Multiple studies show that parental PTSD and other posttraumatic disturbances in parental psychological functioning can, despite a traumatized parent's best efforts, interfere with their response to their child as well as their child's response to trauma. During two studies conducted by Schechter,one studied 67 mothers and another 25 mothers, this was shown to be the case. In cases in which children suffer from both, PTSD and Reactive Attachment Disorder it is difficult to delineate the comorbidity of abnormal caregiving behavior and the abuse the child has been exposed to. Parents with violence-related PTSD may, for example, inadvertently expose their children to developmentally inappropriate violent media due to their need to manage their own emotional dysregulation. Since a child's level of coping skills and perception of domestic violence varies throughout mental development, the exposure to domestic violence has varied effects on the development of PTSD.