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Background: Family violence has been shown to have a dramatic impact on individual and family life in the United States and other countries. Numerous studies have assessed the influence that exposure to violence can have on family dynamics and parent-child relationships. However, less is known about the association between family violence and parent-child relationships with Mexican families. Objective: Guided by social interaction learning theory, the purpose of this study was to explore the link between family violence, PTSD, and mother-child interaction patterns. Methods: Eighty-seven mother-child dyads from Mexico completed assessments for exposure to family violence and PTSD symptoms. We coded and analyzed observational tasks to assess prosocial parent-child interactions, such as positive communication and problem solving. We conducted an actor-partner independence model (APIM) to examine the association between exposure to family violence, PTSD and mother-child relationship dynamics. Results: As expected, higher exposure to family violence was linked to higher PTSD symptoms for mothers. Unexpectedly, higher maternal PTSD symptoms were associated with better communication during dyadic interaction tasks with their children. Conclusions: The present study suggests that individuals from certain cultures (i.e., Mexico) may respond differently to experiencing family violence. The use of multiple measurement methods to assess the relational effects of trauma on family dynamics can advance the scientific understanding of trauma affected families.

Hawksbill turtles (n = 56) in a foraging ground around Isla San Jose, Gulf of California, Mexico, were caught, measured, and their skin and scutes sampled. Tissue samples from putative prey species were collected from observed hawksbill feeding areas in the foraging ground.Measurements of each turtle's straight carapace length were used to estimate the average life stage of the population. Tissue samples were processed for stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis to estimate foraging habits of turtles in this location.The majority (96.4%) of measured individuals' straight carapace length fell in the size range considered to be juveniles.A Bayesian mixing model analysis of the δ13C and δ15N values of hawksbill skin and potential prey indicated that hawksbills consume primarily invertebrates and algae, with lesser contributions from seagrass and mangrove material.There was a positive linear relationship between turtle size and the δ13C values from scute samples, and an increase in the δ13C values of five individuals recaptured in subsequent years suggested a potential location shift from a pelagic habitat in the turtles' post‐hatching, earliest juvenile years to the nearshore foraging area around Isla San Jose in their later juvenile years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken in an effort to help illuminate the deleterious effects of traumatic stress on children and families in Mexico. Rates of exposure to traumatic events, family and community violence, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were investigated in 87 school-age children and their mothers. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to examine potential family and ecological risk factors for the presence of child PTSD. A total of 51 children (58.6%) reported an event that met the DSM-IV A criteria, and 36 children (41.4%; 20 boys and 16 girls) met criteria for full PTSD. Traumatic exposure in this sample was considerable, particularly intense, and chronic as a result of interpersonal violence in the home and community. Results support the need for preventive systemic interventions targeting the individual level, parent–child dyadic level, and the larger cultural and community context. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]