Intergenerational transmission of family violence: Affect dysregulation as a predictor of young adult IPV perpetration

Background and purpose: Intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs at particularly high rates among young adults (e.g., Sunday et al., 2011). Rates For adolescents, affect regulation capacity plays an important role in IPV... [ view full abstract ]

Background and purpose: Intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs at particularly high rates among young adults (e.g., Sunday et al., 2011). Rates For adolescents, affect regulation capacity plays an important role in IPV perpetration proximally and distally (e.g., Jouriles et al., 2012; Penney & Moretti, 2010). Adolescents are uniquely vulnerable to impairment of self-regulation mechanisms and patterns of affect dysregulation often persist into adulthood (Nader, 2011). The current study examined affect dysregulation over time as a predictor of physical IPV perpetration in young adulthood for family violence-exposed adolescents, and perpetration patterns by gender, as prior research has suggested high rates of female physical IPV, particularly in bidirectionally violent young adult couples (Whitaker et al., 2007).

Methods: Using 3 panels of prospective data from a cohort of 15 year olds (N=338) from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods longitudinal study (Sampson, 2011), the current study employed structural equation modeling to test an autoregressive relationship of affect dysregulation over three developmental stages to predict young adult IPV. Measures included a proxy variable using syndrome subscales of the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) and a version of the Conflict Tactics Scale (Straus et al., 2003).

Results: The affect dysregulation proxy variable tested positively for measurement invariance and factor loadings were strong in all three waves. Affect dysregulation was significant autoregressively. Females scored on average 10% higher on all measures of dysregulation and were significantly more likely than males to perpetrate greater frequency and severity of physical IPV and report bidirectional IPV.

Implications: Results suggest that affect dysregulation in adolescence persists over time to predict young adult IPV outcomes, particularly for females. Further research is needed to explore the gender component of this relationship. Affect-oriented components are suggested as an essential aspect of strategies to prevent IPV perpetration in young couples.