Digital Storytelling As a Narrative Intervention for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence

Purpose: This mixed method study examined the use of digital storytelling (DS) as a trauma narrative intervention, in the context of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), for children exposed to domestic violence (CEDV) who received mental health services at a rural domestic violence (DV) agency.  We wanted to evaluate the potential mental health benefits of DS for processing trauma-related information.  Our research questions included: 

1. How does digital storytelling invoke change for CEDV? 

2. What changes does digital storytelling produce in CEDV?

Method:  Participants were recruited through counseling referrals to the agency.  Children had to have had at least five PTSD symptoms, as defined by the DSM, IV-R.  Over the course of a year, of the 25 who started TF-CBT services, 16 completed treatment.  To assess changes in psychosocial functioning, youth completed the following standardized instruments at pre- and post-intervention: PTSD Checklist—Child Form; The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire, Hare Self-Esteem Scale, and Youth Coping Index. 

Study participants (N=16, 9 male and 7 female, all Caucasian) ranged in age from 7 - 16 years old (M=12; SD=3.28).  Children were first exposed to DV at a young age (M=2 years old, SD=2.68, range 1 - 11) and were exposed for several years (M=6 years, SD=3.31, range 1 - 12).  The majority of their mothers’ abusers were their birthfathers (64%, n=10).  In addition to being exposed to DV, several (64%, n=10) were also abused by the perpetrator.

Results: Thematic analysis of digital stories, field observation notes, and exit interviews indicated developing their trauma narrative through digital storytelling was the most significant component of participants’ treatment gains.  In addition to incorporating the traumatic events into one’s ongoing life story, other major transformative aspects of narrative development were identity (e.g., “I’ve come to think that I’m my own hero.”), mastery (e.g., “I think I can make things happen.”) and a sense of relatedness (e.g., “I get along better with my mom.”).

PTSD symptoms decreased by an average of 12 points (pre: M=54.60, post:  M=42.33; clinical cutoff score ≥ 44) for 100% (16/16) of the sample.  Of the 14 youth who exhibited depression at pretreatment, all (n=14) decreased in depression scores by 7 points at post-treatment (pre:  M=11.35; post:  M=4.00, clinical cutoff score ≥ 8).  Eleven increased in self-esteem by an average of 17 points (pre: M=84.55; post: M=101.75); of the four who did not show significant clinical increases (i.e., ≥ 10 points) in self-esteem, at pretreatment they were already at the average of 99.  Thirteen increased in coping by an average of 10 points (pre:  M=88.17; post: M=98.50); of the three who did not show significant clinical increases (i.e., ≥ 10 points) in coping, at pretreatment they were already at the average of 94.  Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test also indicated a statistically significant difference in coping (z=-1.99, p=.05).

Implications: This study’s findings indicate that creating a multi-sensory trauma narrative is a powerful tool to help youth process their traumatic experiences, allowing for a reduction in post-trauma symptoms and an improved quality of life for CEDV.