Child-to-Parent Violence as an Intervening Variable in the Relationship between Inter-Parental Violence Exposure and Dating Violence

Abstract

The exposure of adult children to inter-parental violence is an indirect form of victimization which has not been widely investigated in relation to its consequences in adulthood. The main goal of this study was to analyze predictors of dating violence based on an integrated model of intergenerational transmission of violence with the assessment of potential indirect effects of inter-parental violence exposure on dating violence through child-to-parent violence and sexism. A total of 847 college students participated in this study, ranging from 18 to 25 years of age. Inter-parental violence exposure plays a relevant role in dating violence, with indirect effects through child-to-parent violence and sexism. These results support social learning theory in explaining the intergenerational transmission of violence and indicate that further attention should be paid to children exposed to inter-parental violence. Intervention models to prevent the perpetration of dating violence should include the prevention of inter-parental violence exposure and child-to-parent violence.

Adolescent Conflict and Young Adult Couple Relationships: Directionality of Violence

“…Violence is not natural; individuals learn it (Echeburúa, 2019;Ibabe et al, 2020) intentionally, as well as to harm others. Saying that violence is only exercised by men means perpetuating traditional gender roles and denying the other side of violence, which currently occurs in most dating relationships (Riesgo González et al, 2019;Trujano et al, 2010).…”

A Systematic Review of Youth-to-Parent Aggression: Conceptualization, Typologies, and Instruments

“…It is important to differentiate abusive and non-abusive YPA, taking frequency and severity into account. Some studies have measured the relative frequency and severity of YPA situations (Kolko et al, 1996;Gebo, 2007;Calvete et al, 2013a;Simmons et al, 2019a;Ibabe et al, 2020). The presence of physical YPA can be considered abusive, but the presence of a single or infrequent non-physical behavior is not abusive.…”

“…Variations in children's age to define the target population could limit the generalizations of the extent of this family abuse. There is little research which includes perpetrators over 18 years, legally considered adults (Edenborough et al, 2011;Gámez-Guadix and Calvete, 2012;Simmons et al, 2019a,b;Ibabe et al, 2020), even though at least a half of the children in the 18-24 years age range continue living with their parents according to data of different countries (Simmons et al, 2018). The cohabitation between perpetrator and target should be an inclusion criterion in the YPA definition more relevant than applying an arbitrary age-based criterion.…”

“…Defensive YPA would include violent behavior for self-defense if the child has experienced parent-to-child abuse (including aggressive discipline and neglect) or for defending another person in interparental violence situations. Some adolescents or young adults who perpetrate YPA were abused or neglected by their parents, and, in particular, they experienced their father's application of physical punishment (Browne and Hamilton, 1998;Calvete et al, 2015b;Ibabe and Bentler, 2016;Ibabe, 2019) or were exposed to interparental violence (McCloskey and Lichter, 2003;Boxer et al, 2009;Ibabe and Jaureguizar, 2011;Gallego et al, 2019;Ibabe et al, 2020). Some young people intervene to avoid intimate partner abuse against their mothers (Gallagher, 2008).…”

“…In the United States, 10% of the assaults committed by young people between 18 and 25 years are against their parents (Snyder and McCurley, 2008). In Spain, 5% of college students perpetrated physical YPA during the past year, taking into account the technical abuse criteria (Ibabe et al, 2020). In a study based on an Australian sample in the 14-25 years age range, 7% of physically abusive behavior toward one parent was reported (Simmons et al, 2019a).…”