Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2009, 6, 3156-3168; doi:10.3390/ijerph6123156 OPEN ACCESS International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ISSN 1660-4601 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph Review Alcoholism and Intimate Partner Violence: Effects on Children’s Psychosocial Adjustment Keith Klostermann 1,* and Michelle L. Kelley 2 1 School of Nursing, University of Rochester, Box SON, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14647, USA 2 Old Dominion University, 134C Mills Goodwin Building, Norfolk, VA 23529-267, USA; E-Mail: mkelley@odu.edu * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: Keith_Klostermann@urmc.rochester.edu; Tel.: +1-585-276-3487; Fax: +1-716-636-3635. Received: 10 October 2009 / Accepted: 4 December 2009 / Published: 10 December 2009 Abstract: It is widely recognized that alcoholism and relationship violence often have serious consequences for adults; however, children living with alcoholic parents are susceptible to the deleterious familial environments these caregivers frequently create. Given the prevalence of IPV among patients entering substance abuse treatment, coupled with the negative familial consequences associated with these types of behavior, this review explores what have been, to this point, two divergent lines of research: (a) the effects of parental alcoholism on children, and (b) the effects of children’s exposure to intimate partner violence. In this article, the interrelationship between alcoholism and IPV is examined, with an emphasis on the developmental impact of these behaviors (individually and together) on children living in the home and offers recommendations for future research directions. Keywords: domestic violence; partner aggression; children’s adjustment