Childhood Domestic Violence Exposure among a Community Sample of Adult Perpetrators: What Mediates the Connection?

Abstract

The association between childhood exposure to domestic violence and later intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in adulthood has been well established in the literature. However, the literature examining the factors of exposure that contribute to perpetration in adulthood is fraught with mixed findings, with some studies finding a direct link between childhood domestic violence exposure and later IPV perpetration and others ruling out a link after controlling for other contextual barriers such as community violence and socioeconomic status. This study examined 124 non-treatment-seeking and unadjudicated adult male IPV perpetrators and found exposure to domestic violence in childhood contributes to the normalization of violence, which could predict future adult IPV perpetration. Practice implications are discussed, namely primary and secondary prevention of intimate partner violence.

Keywords:

• childhood exposure
• early intervention
• intimate partner violence perpetration
• IPV prevention

Acknowledgments

This project was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1 R01 DA017873.