Gender Differences in the Connections Between Violence Experiences as a Child and Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence in Young Adulthood

• NCJ Number: 223270
• Journal: Journal of Family Violence Volume: 23 Issue: 5 Dated: July 2008 Pages: 303-313
• Author(s): Xiangming Fang; Phaedra S. Corso
• Date Published: July 2008
• Length: 11 pages
• Grant Number(s): P01-HD31921
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study used longitudinal, nationally representative survey data in examining the direct relationship between three forms of child maltreatment (neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse) and intimate partner violence (IPV) in young adulthood.

Abstract

The study found gender differences in the link between childhood maltreatment and IPV perpetration as a young adult, as well as the effects of socioeconomic factors on youth violence and IPV perpetration. For men, the direct effects of childhood neglect/physical abuse on adult IPV perpetration were not significant; however, the indirect effects of being neglected/physically abused on IPV perpetration through the presence of violence perpetration as a youth were significant. For females, the direct effects of being neglected/physically abused on IPV perpetration were significant. The indirect effect of being neglected on IPV was significant, but the indirect effect of childhood physical abuse was not significant. Childhood sexual abuse was not significantly directly linked with IPV perpetration as an adult for females; however, for males it was the strongest direct predictor of IPV perpetration as an adult. The indirect effects of childhood sexual abuse on IPV perpetration were not significant for either females or males. Data for the study came from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative study of the health-related behaviors and outcomes of adolescents in grades 7 through 12 and their outcomes in young adulthood. For the current study, respondents were limited to those who reported being involved in at least one relationship in the 2 years preceding the Wave III survey. This produced a sample of 9,352 participants (55.5 percent female). Dependent variables were IPV perpetration as a young adult and the perpetration of violence as a youth. Independent variables pertained to child maltreatment, demographic characteristics, individual factors during adolescence, family characteristics, and individual factors during young adulthood. 3 tables and 54 references