Family Violence During Childhood as a Predictor of Involvement in Intimate Partner Violence in Adulthood

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

Exposure to family violence during childhood has been found to affect how a person behaves mentally, physically, and socially later in life (Lee et al. 2013; Straus, Kantor, Kaufman 1994). Previous studies focus on behavioral outcomes caused by exposure to violence (Hooven 2012; Polcari, Bolger, and Teicher 2014), where other studies focus on the likelihood of committing criminal acts after exposure (Kemme 2014; Swinford et al. 2000). This research study focuses on the likelihood of being involved in intimate partner violence, as either a victim or an offender, while examining how previous exposure to childhood violence predicts the likelihood of being a victim or offender as adults. Wave IV data from the National Longitudinal Board of Adolescent Health were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. The variables selected communicate how often a child has been victimized by family violence, how often they have witnessed family violence, how often their partner has threatened/harmed them, and how often they have threatened/harmed their partner. Other demographic characteristics such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status are considered as moderating variables in this analysis.

Author

• Chelsey Elizabeth Isler, Westminster College, PA