The Developmental Trajectory Of Violence: The Impact Of Child Maltreatment On Adult Intimate Partner Violence
Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: Child maltreatment has many potentially harmful short and long-term consequences, one of which is experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) in later life.The present study uses all four waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to analyze the impact of child maltreatment on IPV in young adulthood, and to examine the mechanisms that link the two.The present study explores several distinct pathways through which child maltreatment may lead to IPV: violence, low self-esteem, and alcohol abuse.It also addresses gender differences in the effects of child maltreatment on adult IPV.Results show that child maltreatment leads to violent behavior in young men, which increases their chances of experiencing IPV in adulthood.After controlling for violent behavior, the relationship between child maltreatment and adult IPV is reduced to statistical nonsignificance.Surprisingly, low self-esteem and alcohol abuse are not significantly related to IPV for males.For females, results reveal that violent behavior and alcohol abuse help mediate the relationship between child maltreatment and IPV, although these variables do not completely reduce this relationship to non-significance.In contrast to predictions, low self-esteem is not significantly related to IPV for females.Policy and program implications are discussed.
Author: Tanya M. Leyman
Institution: Bowling Green State University
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2623941583