Exposure to interparental violence and justification of intimate partner violence among women in sexual unions in sub-Saharan Africa

Background Justification of intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the critical factors that account for the high prevalence of IPV among women. In this study, we examined the association between exposure to interparental violence and IPV justification among women in sexual unions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods Data for this study were obtained from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 26 countries in SSA conducted between 2010 and 2020. A total of 112,953 women in sexual unions were included in this study. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was carried out. The results of the regression analysis were presented using crude odds ratios (cOR) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results The prevalence of interparental violence in the countries considered in this study was 23.8%, with the highest (40.8%) and lowest (4.9%) in Burundi and Comoros, respectively. IPV justification was 45.8%, with the highest and lowest prevalence in Mali (80.9%) and South Africa (4.6%) respectively. Women who were exposed to interparental violence were more likely to justify IPV compared to those who were not exposed [aOR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.47–1.59]. We found higher odds of justification of IPV among women who were exposed to interparental violence compared to those who were not exposed in all the countries, except Burkina Faso, Comoros, Gambia, and Rwanda. Conclusion The findings call for several strategies for addressing interparental violence. These may include empowerment services targeting both men and women, formation of stronger social networks to improve women’s self-confidence, and the provision of evidence-based information and resources at the community level. These interventions should pay critical attention to young people exposed to interparental violence. Public health education and messaging should emphasise on the negative health and social implications of interparental violence and IPV.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Empathy: The Role of Interparental Conflict

The literature shows that adverse life experiences may harm individuals. The main objectives of this research were to study the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and empathy in adulthood and analyse differences between victims and nonvictims of interparental conflict. Our research evidenced that adverse childhood experiences affect individuals’ empathy in adulthood, and victims of interparental violence experienced other childhood victimization.

Witnessing interparental violence in childhood and symptoms of depression in adulthood: data from the 2017 French Health Barometer

Background Every year, it is estimated that 143 000 French children are exposed to interparental violence (IPV). This exposure may have deleterious lifelong impact on mental health. Objective To investigate the associations between exposure to IPV in childhood and, as adults, the presence of depressive symptoms during the past year, suicidal thoughts and lifetime suicide attempt. Methods Our study is based on data from the 2017 French Health Barometer, a general population cross-sectional phone survey. 25 319 adults living in Metropolitan France responded. Data were weighted to obtain a representative sample of the French population. Associations between childhood exposure to IPV and each of three outcomes in adulthood—symptoms of depression, suicidal ideation in the past year and lifetime suicide attempt—were studied by calculating odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs), stratifying by sex and using multivariate models (logistic regression). Results After adjustment for age, social variables, negative life events in childhood and lifetime history of sexual violence, reporting witnessed IPV is significantly associated with the presence of symptoms of depression during the past 12 months (aORmen = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.49–2.38, and aORwomen = 2.00, 1.72–2.32), suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months (aORmen = 1.97, 1.48–2.64, and aORwomen = 2.35, 1.89–2.93), and at least one lifetime suicide attempt (aORmen =2.39, 1.83–3.11 and aORwomen = 2.66, 2.25–3.16). Conclusion Associations shown between a history of exposure to IPV and three mental health indicators in adulthood underline the need to study the lifelong impact of IPV.

Interparental Violence and Early Adolescents’ Adjustment Problems in China: Testing a Moderated Mediation Model of Parental Warmth and Emotional Insecurity

This study analyzed the relationships between exposure to interparental violence and adolescents’ adjustment problems. It also explored the mediating role of emotional insecurity and the moderating role of parental warmth in these relationships. Five hundred and seventy-eight early adolescents from three migrant primary schools and one public school in Beijing participated in this survey, reporting on their perceived interparental violence, emotional insecurity, post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems. The results revealed that emotional insecurity partially mediated the association between interparental violence and all three indicators of adjustment problems, with stronger mediating effects on PTSS and internalizing problems than on externalizing problems; parental warmth buffered the association between emotional insecurity and internalizing/externalizing problems. This study adds insights to present literature on how interparental violence contributes to different aspects of adolescents’ adjustment problems in the Chinese context.

Sexual and Gender Minority Intimate Partner Violence and Childhood Violence Exposure

Limited research on female-assigned-at-birth sexual and gender minorities (FAB SGM) suggests that their risk of psychological, physical, and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and perpetration may be linked to childhood violence exposure (CVE), such as experiencing child abuse, or witnessing sibling or interparental abuse. That said, there is a dearth of research in this population examining whether there is typically a violence type match between CVE and IPV (e.g., physical CVE predicting physical IPV), a gender match between those involved in CVE and later IPV (e.g., witnessing the abuse of female parents predicting IPV among women), or an increase in IPV risk commensurate with the number of different CVE types experienced. Addressing these gaps, this article draws on the baseline survey data of FAB400, a merged cohort accelerated longitudinal study of 488 FAB SGM adolescents and young adults. Analyses focused on the subsample of 457 participants with prior intimate relationship experience. Findings revealed that each assessed form of CVE—parental verbal abuse victimization, parental physical maltreatment victimization, childhood sexual abuse victimization, witnessing sibling abuse, and witnessing interparental violence—predicted risk of IPV perpetration and victimization, without evidence of violence type match. Witnessing interparental violence was associated with IPV irrespective of the abused parent’s gender. In addition, exposure to a greater number of forms of CVE was associated with an increased risk of all types of IPV victimization and perpetration. Results offer preliminary evidence that the intergenerational transmission of violence is an applicable framework for FAB SGM, and as such this should be considered when screening and intervening for childhood, family, and partner violence in this population. Suggestions for future directions are discussed.

Exposure to Family Violence in Childhood, Self-Efficacy, and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Young Adulthood

This study aimed to examine the relationship of exposure to family violence (i.e., experiencing parental physical violence [PH] and psychological aggression [PA] and witnessing interparental PH and PA) during childhood and adolescence with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) during young adulthood. In addition, the mediating role of self-efficacy in this relationship was investigated. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 516 university and college students in Israel (90.7% female and 9.3% male; Mage = 24.9, SD = 2.7). The results revealed that experiencing parental violence and witnessing interparental violence during childhood and adolescence were associated with high levels of current PTSS. The results also indicate that experiencing parental violence was associated with lower levels of self-efficacy, whereas no such significant relationship was found between witnessing interparental violence and self-efficacy. Furthermore, a negative relationship was found between self-efficacy and PTSS. In addition, the results show a partial mediation effect of self-efficacy only on the relationship between experiencing parental violence and PTSS. The findings are interpreted in light of Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. The strengths and limitations of the study as well as implications for future research are discussed.