On the Relationship between Child Abuse and Adult Dating Violence Perpetration and Victimization from a Causal Inference Approach with a South Korean Sample of College Students

• In Event: Conceptualizing Associations Between Familial Background and Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Childhood maltreatment is one of the most commonly examined risk factors for violence in a later dating relationship. Often referred to as the intergenerational transmission of violence or cycle of violence, a fair amount of research suggests that experiencing abuse during childhood significantly increases the likelihood of the involvement in violent relationships later, but these conclusions are primarily based on correlational research designs. Considering this limitation, the current study uses a rigorous, propensity score matching approach to estimate the causal effect of experiencing child abuse on adult dating violence perpetration and victimization among a large sample South Korean college students. Results indicate that the link between child abuse and adult dating violent victimization and perpetration is spurious rather than causal. Study limitations and implications are discussed.

Authors

• Wes Jennings, University of South Florida

• MiRang Park, Hannam University

• Tara Richards, University of Baltimore

• Elizabeth Tomsich, Texas A&M International University

• Angela Gover, University of Colorado, Denver

• Ráchael A. Powers, University of South Florida