Long-Term Effects of Parent-to-Child Violence for Women

• NCJ Number: 138599
• Journal: Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1992) Pages: 365-382
• Author(s): W R Downs; B A Miller; M Testa; D Panek
• Date Published: 1992
• Length: 18 pages
• Grant Number(s): R01AA07554
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Agriculture
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Portions of this research were presented at the annual convention of the National Council on Family Relations in Seattle, WA, November 9-15.

Annotation

The relationships between experiences of parental violence during childhood and the development of victimization by severe violence from a partner in later life, as well as alcohol-related problems in adulthood, were examined in this study.

Abstract

The study compared women with partner victimization only (69), alcohol-related problems only (59), both partner victimization and alcohol-related problems (83), and neither problem (80). Face-to-face interviews were administered to all respondents. The Conflict Tactics Scale was used to assess father-to-daughter, mother-to-daughter, and partner- to-woman relationships. Associations between parental violence and adulthood problems were examined in a multivariate model. Control variables included childhood socioeconomic status, presence of a parent with alcohol- related problems, number of changes in childhood family structure, race of respondent, and the Global Severity Index. The mother-to-daughter relationship was apparently a moderately better predictor of partner violence than the father-to-daughter relationship. Conversely, the father-to- daughter relationship was a better predictor of alcohol problems than the mother-to-daughter relationship. Father- to-daughter verbal aggression was found to be an especially important predictor of alcohol problems for women. 3 tables, 5 notes, and 28 references