Understanding the effect of adverse childhood experiences on the risk of engaging in physical violence toward an intimate partner: The influence of relationship, social psychological, and sociodemographic contextual risk factors

Angela M Kaufman-Parks; Monica A Longmore; Wendy D Manning; Peggy C Giordano

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106381

Understanding the effect of adverse childhood experiences on the risk of engaging in physical violence toward an intimate partner: The influence of relationship, social psychological, and sociodemographic contextual risk factors

Child Abuse Negl. 2023 Oct:144:106381. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106381. Epub 2023 Aug 3.

Authors

Angela M Kaufman-Parks¹, Monica A Longmore², Wendy D Manning², Peggy C Giordano²

Affiliations

¹ Assumption University, Department of Sociology & Criminology, 500 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609, United States. Electronic address: am.kaufman@assumption.edu.
² Bowling Green State University, Department of Sociology, 1001 E. Wooster Street, Bowling Green, OH 43403, United States.

PMID: 37542994
PMCID: PMC10528963 (available on 2024-10-01)
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106381

Abstract

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase the risk of engaging in intimate partner violence (IPV) in later life.

Objective: This study investigates the association between ACEs and engaging in physical violence toward a romantic partner in emerging adulthood while also accounting for proximal life experiences, including social psychological, intimate relationship, and sociodemographic characteristics.

Participants and setting: This study draws on two waves of data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study, a 19-year population-based longitudinal cohort study of adolescents transitioning to adulthood from Lucas County, Ohio (United States). This investigation includes 878 (399 men and 479 women) emerging adults.

Methods: To evaluate the association between ACEs and IPV perpetration, two waves of survey data were used, collected in 2001 and 2011-2012.

Results: ACEs had a cumulative effect on IPV, where each additional ACE increased the odds of engaging in IPV by 51.0 % (p < 0.001). However, current drug use (OR = 1.131, p < 0.05), arguments between partners (OR = 1.517, p < 0.01), partner mistrust (OR = 1.663, p < 0.001), and jealousy and control (OR = 1.412, p < 0.001) were also significant correlates of IPV reports.

Conclusions: ACEs are a significant predictor of IPV perpetration among emerging adults, even when accounting for more proximal risk factors. These findings suggest that individuals working with clients who engage in IPV would do well to address the long-term trauma impacts of early life adversity in addition to more proximal risk factors to reduce the risk of continued violence.

Keywords: Adverse childhood experiences; Cumulative risk; Emerging adulthood; Intimate partner violence; Intimate relationship dynamics; Social psychological correlates.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Adverse Childhood Experiences*
Female
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
Intimate Partner Violence* / psychology
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Physical Abuse
Risk Factors
United States

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding