Effects of Child Abuse, Adolescent Violence, Peer Approval and Pro-violence Attitudes on Intimate Partner Violence in Adulthood

• NCJ Number: 252227
• Author(s): Todd I. Herrenkohl, Hyunzee Jung
• Date Published: January 2016
• Length: 11 pages
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Award: Effects of Child Maltreatment, Cumulative Victimization Experiences, and Proximal Life Stress on Adult Outcomes of Substance Use, Mental Health Problems, and Antisocial Behavior

Annotation

This study analyzed the prediction of adult intimate partner violence (IPV) from variables measured in childhood and adolescence, so as to determine the unique influence of earlier victimization and perpetration of violence, as well as other variables grounded in theory and empirical findings.

Abstract

The study determined that dating-violence victimization and peer approval of dating violence in adolescence emerge as the unique predictors of IPV victimization and perpetration in adulthood. Official child maltreatment predicted IPV perpetration. Data were obtained from a longitudinal study that began in the 1970s with a sample of 457 preschool-aged children who were reassessed as adults. Outcomes of adult IPV victimization and perpetration types were regressed on predictors of parent-reported child abuse, officially recorded child maltreatment, adolescent victimization, violence perpetration, pro-violence attitudes, and peer approval of violence during adolescence, controlling for childhood socioeconomic status (SES), age in adolescence, and gender. The study’s findings indicate the importance of prevention programs and strategies that will disrupt the cycle of violence at its early stages, as well as interventions during adolescence that target peer influences. (Publisher abstract modified)