Is the Antisocial Child Father of the Abusive Man?: A 40-Year Prospective Longitudinal Study on the Developmental Antecedents of Intimate Partner Violence

• NCJ Number: 228398
• Journal: Criminology Volume: 47 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2009 Pages: 741-780
• Author(s): Patrick Lussier; David P. Farrington; Terrie E. Moffitt
• Date Published: August 2009
• Length: 40 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined whether early childhood risk factors contributed to explaining and predicting intimate partner violence in mid-adulthood.

Abstract

The findings indicate that a criminogenic environment increased the risk of intimate personal violence (IPV) by fostering the development of antisocial behavior and neuropsychological deficits. There was a link found between a high level of antisocial behavior during adolescence and the risk of IPV later in life. These findings have implications for the theory development of partner violence. Recent prospective longitudinal studies have suggested that successful interventions for childhood antisocial behavior might have long-term impacts on IPV in adulthood. This study examined this claim by reviewing the long-term risk factors of IPV in adulthood. Participants of the study included 202 men from the Cambridge longitudinal study, who were in an intimate relationship in their mid-40s. Neuropsychological deficits and the presence of a criminogenic family environment were measured between ages 8 and 10. Antisocial behavior was measured between ages 8 and 18. IPV was measured at age 48 using a self-report instrument completed by the participants' female partners. Table, figures, references,and appendix