Hostname: page-component-54dcc4c588-hp6zs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-09-14T15:10:03.484Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Developmental timing and continuity of exposure to interparental violence and externalizing behavior as prospective predictors of dating violence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 November 2013

Angela J. Narayan ,
Michelle M. Englund  and
Byron Egeland
Angela J. Narayan*
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Michelle M. Englund
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Byron Egeland
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Angela J. Narayan, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 51 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455; E-mail: anarayan@umn.edu.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study investigated the prospective pathways of children's exposure to interparental violence (EIPV) in early and middle childhood and externalizing behavior in middle childhood and adolescence as developmental predictors of dating violence perpetration and victimization at ages 23 and 26 years. Participants (N = 168) were drawn from a longitudinal study of low-income families. Path analyses examined whether timing or continuity of EIPV predicted dating violence and whether timing or continuity of externalizing behavior mediated these pathways. Results indicated that EIPV in early childhood directly predicted perpetration and victimization at age 23. There were significant indirect effects from EIPV to dating violence through externalizing behavior in adolescence and life stress at age 23. Independent of EIPV, externalizing behavior in middle childhood also predicted dating violence through externalizing behavior in adolescence and life stress at age 23, but this pathway stemmed from maltreatment. These results highlight that the timing of EIPV and both the timing and the continuity of externalizing behavior are critical risks for the intergenerational transmission of dating violence. The findings support a developmental perspective that negative early experiences and children's externalizing behavior are powerful influences for dating violence in early adulthood.

Information

Type
Regular Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 25 , Issue 4pt1 , November 2013 , pp. 973 - 990
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Manual for the Youth Self-Report and the 1991 profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.Google Scholar
Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. (1986). Manual for the Teacher Report Form and teacher version of the Child Behavior Profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.Google Scholar
Ainsworth, M. D. S., Bell, S. M., & Stayton, D. J. (1991). Infant–mother attachment and social development: “Socialisation” as a product of reciprocal responsiveness to signals. In Woodhead, M., Carr, R., & Light, P. (Eds.), Becoming a person: Child development in social context (Vol. 1, pp. 30–55). Florence, KY: Taylor & Frances Routledge.Google Scholar
American Psychological Association. (1996). Violence and the family: Report of the APA Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family. Washington, DC: Author.Google Scholar
Anderson, K. L. (2002). Perpetrator or victim? Relationships between intimate partner violence and well-being. Journal of Marriage and Family, 64, 851–863.Google Scholar
Bauer, N. S., Herrenkohl, T. I., Lozano, P., Rivara, F. P., Hill, K. G., & Hawkins, J. D. (2006). Childhood bullying involvement and exposure to intimate partner violence. Pediatrics, 118, 235–242.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. London: Hogarth.Google Scholar
Cano, A., & Vivian, D. (2003). Are life stressors associated with marital violence? Journal of Family Psychology, 17, 302–314.Google Scholar
Capaldi, D. M., & Crosby, L. (1997). Observed and reported psychological and physical aggression in young, at-risk couples. Social Development, 6, 184–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cappell, C., & Heiner, R. B. (1990). The intergenerational transmission of family aggression. Journal of Family Violence, 5, 135–152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cicchetti, D., & Rogosch, F. (1996). Equifinality and multifinality in developmental psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 8, 597–600.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cicchetti, D., & Valentino, K. (2006). An ecological transactional perspective on child maltreatment: Failure of the average expectable environment and its influence on child development. In Cicchetti, D. & Cohen, D. J. (Eds.), Developmental psychopathology: Vol. 3. Risk, disorder, and adaptation (pp. 129–201). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Cohen, J. A., Mannarino, A. P., Murray, A. K., & Igelman, R. (2006). Psychosocial interventions for maltreated and violence-exposed children. Journal of Social Issues, 62, 737–766.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cummings, E. M., Schermerhorn, A. C., Davies, P. T., Goeke-Morey, M. C., & Cummings, J. S. (2006). Interparental discord and child adjustment: Prospective investigations of emotional security as an explanatory mechanism. Child Development, 77, 132–152.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cunningham, A., & Baker, L. (2004). What about me! Seeking to understand a child's view of violence in the family. London, ON: Centre for Children & Families in the Justice System.Google Scholar
Cunningham, S. M. (2003). The joint contribution of experiencing and witnessing violence during childhood on child abuse in the parent role. Violence and Victims, 18, 619–639.Google Scholar
Davies, P. T., & Cummings, E. M. (1994). Marital conflict and child adjustment: An emotional security hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 116, 387–411.Google Scholar
Davies, P. T., & Woitach, M. J. (2008). Children's emotional insecurity in the interparental relationship. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17, 269–274.Google Scholar
DeBoard-Lucas, R. L., Fosco, G. M., Raynor, S. R., & Grych, J. H. (2010). Interparental conflict in context: Exploring relations between parenting processes and children's conflict appraisals. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 39, 163–175.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dishion, T. J., & Patterson, G. R. (2006). The development and ecology of antisocial behavior in childhood and adolescence. In Cicchetti, D. & Cohen, D. J. (Eds.), Developmental psychopathology: Vol. 3. Risk, disorder, and adaptation (pp. 503–541). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Duncan, O. D. (1961). A socioeconomic index for all occupations. In Reiss, J. A. J. (Ed.), Occupations and social status. New York: Free Press.Google Scholar
Egeland, B. (1991). A longitudinal study of high-risk families: Issues and findings. In Starr, R. H. & Wolfe, D. A. (Eds.), The effects of child abuse and neglect: Issues and research (pp. 33–56). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Egeland, B., Breitenbucher, M., & Rosenburg, D. (1981). Prospective study of the significance of life stress in the etiology of child abuse. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 48, 195–205.Google Scholar
Egeland, B., & Brunnquell, D. (1979). An at-risk approach to the study of child abuse: Some preliminary findings. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 18, 291–335.Google Scholar
Egeland, B., Carlson, E. A., & Sroufe, L. A. (1993). Resilience as a process. Development and Psychopathology, 5, 517–528.Google Scholar
Egeland, B., & Erickson, M. F. (2004). Lessons from STEEP: Linking theory, research, and practice on the well-being of infants and parents. In Sameroff, A., McDonough, S., & Rosenblum, K. (Eds.), Treating parent–infant relationship problems (pp. 213–242). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Egeland, B., Jacobvitz, D., & Papatola, K. (1987). Intergenerational continuity of abuse. In Gelles, R. & Lancaster, J. (Eds.), Child abuse and neglect: Biosocial dimensions (pp. 255–276). New York: Aldine de Gruyter.Google Scholar
Ehrensaft, M. K., & Cohen, P. (2012). Contribution of family violence to the intergenerational transmission of externalizing behavior. Prevention Science, 13, 370–383.Google Scholar
Ehrensaft, M. K., Cohen, P., Brown, J., Smailes, E., Chen, H., & Johnson, J. G. (2003). Intergenerational transmission of partner violence: A 20-year prospective study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 741–753.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ehrensaft, M. K., Moffitt, T. E., & Caspi, A. (2004). Clinically abusive relationships in an unselected birth cohort: Men's and women's participation and developmental antecedents. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 113, 258–271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fantuzzo, J. W., & Fusco, R. A. (2007). Children's direct exposure to types of violent crime: A population-based investigation. Journal of Family Violence, 22, 543–552.Google Scholar
Fergusson, D. M., Boden, J. M., & Horwood, L. J. (2006). Examining the intergenerational transmission of violence in a New Zealand birth cohort. Child Abuse and Neglect, 30, 89–108.Google Scholar
Fergusson, D. M., Boden, J. M., & Horwood, L. J. (2008). Developmental antecedents of interparental violence in a New Zealand birth cohort. Journal of Family Violence, 23, 737–753.Google Scholar
Fergusson, D. M., & Horwood, L. J. (1998). Exposure to interparental violence in childhood and psychosocial adjustment in young adulthood. Child Abuse and Neglect, 22, 339–357.Google Scholar
Fergusson, D. M., Horwood, L. J., & Lynskey, M. T. (1992). Family change, parental discord, and early offending. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 33, 1059–1075.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fite, J. E., Bates, J. E., Holtzworth-Munroe, A., Dodge, K. A., Nay, S. Y., & Pettit, G. S. (2008). Social information processing mediates the intergenerational transmission of aggressiveness in romantic relationships. Journal of Family Psychology, 22, 367–376.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frye, N. E., & Karney, B. R. (2006). The context of aggressive behavior in marriage: A longitudinal study of newlyweds. Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 12–20.Google Scholar
Graham, J. W., Cumsille, P. E., & Elek-Fisk, E. (2003). Methods for handling missing data. In Schinka, J. A. & Velicer, W. F. (Eds.), Handbook of psychology: Research methods in psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 87–114). New York: Wiley.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gewirtz, A. H., & Edleson, J. L. (2007). Young children's exposure to intimate partner violence: Towards a developmental risk and resilience framework for research and intervention. Journal of Family Violence, 22, 151–163.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gewirtz, A., Harris, D., & Avendano, M. J. (2006). Improving access to care for traumatized children: Law enforcement–mental health collaborations for child witnesses to violence. CURA Reporter, 32, 28–34.Google Scholar
Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 511–524.Google Scholar
Henning, K., Leitenberg, H., Coffey, P., Bennett, T., & Jankowski, M. K. (1997). Long-term psychological adjustment to witnessing inter-parental physical conflict during childhood. Child Abuse and Neglect, 21, 501–515.Google Scholar
Herrenkohl, T. I., Sousa, C., Tajima, E. A., Herrenkohl, R. C., & Moylan, C. A. (2008). Intersection of child abuse and children's exposure to domestic violence. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, 9, 84–99.Google Scholar
Herrera, V. M., & McCloskey, L. A. (2001). Gender differences in the risk for delinquency in youth exposed to family violence. Child Abuse and Neglect, 25, 1037–1051.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holt, S., Buckley, H, & Whelan, S. (2008). The impact of exposure to domestic violence on children and young people: A review of the literature. Child Abuse and Neglect, 32, 797–810.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoyle, R. H. (1995). The structural equation modeling approach: Basic concepts and fundamental issues. In Hoyle, R. H. (Ed.), Structural equation modeling: Concepts, issues and applications (pp. 1–15). London: Sage.Google Scholar
Hoyle, R. H., & Panter, A. T. (1995). Writing about structural equation models. In Hoyle, R. H. (Ed.), Structural equation modeling: Concepts, issues and applications (pp. 158–176). London: Sage.Google Scholar
Ireland, T. O., & Smith, C. A. (2009). Living in partner-violent families: Developmental links to antisocial behavior and relationship violence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38, 323–339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jaffe, P. G., Wolfe, D. A., & Wilson, S. K. (1990). Children of battered women. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Kalmuss, D. (1984). The intergenerational transmission of marital aggression. Journal of Marriage and Family, 46, 11–19.Google Scholar
Karney, B. R., & Bradbury, T. N. (1995). The longitudinal course of marital quality and stability: A review of theory, method, and research. Psychological Bulletin, 118, 3–34.Google Scholar
Katz, L. F., & Windecker-Nelson, B. (2006). Domestic violence, emotion-coaching, and child adjustment. Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 56–67.Google Scholar
Kitzmann, K. M., Gaylord, N. K., Holt, A. R., & Kenny, E. D. (2003). Child witness to domestic violence: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 339–352.Google Scholar
Langer, A., Lawrence, E., & Barry, R. A. (2008). Using a vulnerability-stress-adaptation framework to predict physical aggression trajectories in newlywed marriage. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76, 756–768.Google Scholar
Lawrence, E., & Bradbury, T. N. (2007). Trajectories of change in physical aggression and marital satisfaction. Journal of Family Psychology, 21, 236–247.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lieberman, A. F., Van Horn, P., & Ghosh, C. (2005). Toward evidence-based treatment: Child–parent psychotherapy with preschoolers exposed to marital violence. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 44, 1241–1248.Google Scholar
Litrownik, A. J., Newton, R., Hunter, W. M., English, D., & Everson, M. D. (2003). Journal of Family Violence, 18, 59–73.Google Scholar
Macfie, J., Cicchetti, D., & Toth, S. L. (2001). The development of dissociation in preschool-aged children. Development and Psychopathology, 13, 233–254.Google Scholar
Magdol, L., Moffitt, T. E., Caspi, A.Newman, D. L., Fagan, J., & Silva, P. A. (1997). Gender differences in partner violence in a birth cohort of 21-year-olds: Bridging the gap between clinical and epidemiological approaches. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 68–78.Google Scholar
Magdol, L., Moffitt, T. E., Caspi, A., & Silva, P. A. (1998). Developmental antecedents of partner abuse: A prospective-longitudinal study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 107, 375–389.Google Scholar
Margolin, G. (2005). Children's exposure to violence: Exploring developmental pathways to diverse outcomes. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20, 72–81.Google Scholar
Margolin, G., & Gordis, E. B. (2000). The effects of family and community violence on children. Annual Review of Psychology, 51, 445–479.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martinez-Torteya, C., Bogat, A., von Eye, A., & Levendosky, A. A. (2009). Resilience among children exposed to domestic violence: The role of risk and protective factors. Child Development, 80, 562–577.Google Scholar
Masten, A. S., Burt, K. B., & Coatsworth, J. D. (2006). Competence and psychopathology in development. In Cicchetti, D. & Cohen, D. (Eds.), Developmental psychopathology: Vol 3. Risk, disorder and psychopathology (2nd ed., pp. 696–738). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Maughan, A., & Cicchetti, D. (2002). Impact of child maltreatment and interadult violence on children's emotion regulation abilities and socioemotional adjustment. Child Development, 73, 1525–1542.Google Scholar
McDonald, R., Jouriles, E. N., Ramisetty-Mikler, S., Caetano, R., & Green, C. E. (2006). Estimating the number of American children living in partner violent homes. Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 137–142.Google Scholar
McDonald, R. P., & Ho, M. R. (2002). Principles and practice in reporting structural equation analyses. Psychological Methods, 7, 64–82.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McIntosh, J. E. (2002). Thought in the face of violence: A child's need. Child Abuse and Neglect, 26, 229–241.Google Scholar
Miller, E., Breslau, J., Chung, W.-J. C., Green, J. G., McLaughlin, K. A., & Kessler, R. (2011). Adverse childhood experiences and risk of physical violence in adolescent dating relationships. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 65, 1006–1013.Google Scholar
Moffitt, T. E. (1993). Adolescent-limited and life-course persistent antisocial behavior: A developmental taxonomy. Psychological Review, 100, 674–701.Google Scholar
Moffitt, T. E., & Caspi, A. (1999). Findings about partner violence from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice.Google Scholar
Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (1998–2010). Mplus user's guide (6th ed.). Los Angeles: Author.Google Scholar
O'Keefe, M. (1998). Factors mediating the link between witnessing interparental violence and dating violence. Journal of Family Violence, 13, 39–57.Google Scholar
Osofsky, J. D. (2003). Prevalence of children's exposure to domestic violence and child maltreatment: Implications for prevention and intervention. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 6, 161–170.Google Scholar
Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40, 879–891.Google Scholar
Quinton, D., Pickles, A., Maughan, B., & Rutter, M. (1993). Partners, peers, and pathways: Assortative pairing and continuities in conduct disorder. Development and Psychopathology, 5, 763–783.Google Scholar
Raudino, A., Woodward, L. J., Fergusson, D. M., & Horwood, L. J. (2012). Childhood conduct problems are associated with increased partnership and parenting difficulties in adulthood. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 40, 251–263.Google Scholar
Roberts, T. A., & Klein, J. (2003). Intimate partner abuse and high-risk behavior in adolescents. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 157, 375–380.Google Scholar
Roberts, T. A., Klein, J., & Fisher, S. (2003). Longitudinal effect of intimate partner abuse on high-risk behavior among adolescents. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 157, 875–881.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roberts, A. L., McLaughlin, K. A., Conron, K. J., & Koenen, K. C. (2011). Adulthood stressors, history of childhood adversity, and risk of perpetration of intimate partner violence. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 40, 128–138.Google Scholar
Rutter, M. (2000). Psychosocial influences: Critiques, findings, and research needs. Development and Psychopathology, 12, 375–405.Google Scholar
Rutter, M., & Sroufe, L. A. (2000). Developmental psychopathology: Concepts and challenges. Developmental Psychopathology, 12, 265–296.Google Scholar
Shortt, J. W., Capaldi, D. M., Kim, H. K., Kerr, D. C. R., Owen, L. D., & Feingold, A. (2012). Stability of intimate partner violence by men across 12 years in young adulthood: Effects of relationship transitions. Prevention Science, 13, 360–369.Google Scholar
Simons, R. L., Lin, K.-H., & Gordon, L. L. (1998). Socialization in the family of origin and male dating violence: A prospective study. Journal of Marriage and Family, 60, 467–478.Google Scholar
Smith, C. A., Ireland, T. O., Park, A., Elwyn, L., & Thornberry, T. P. (2011). Intergenerational continuities and discontinuities in intimate partner violence: A two-generational prospective study. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26, 3720–3752.Google Scholar
Sroufe, L. A. (1979). The coherence of individual development: Early care, attachment, and subsequent developmental issues. American Psychologist, 34, 834–841.Google Scholar
Sroufe, L. A., Egeland, B., Carlson, E. A., & Collins, W. A. (2005). The development of the person. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Stevens, G., & Featherman, D. L. (1981). A revised socioeconomic index of occupational status. Social Science Research, 10, 364–395.Google Scholar
Stith, S. M., Rosen, K. H., Middleton, K. A., Busch, A. L., Lundeberg, K., & Carlton, R. P. (2000). The intergenerational transmission of spouse abuse: A meta-analysis. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 62, 640–654.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Straus, M. A. (1979). Measuring intrafamilial conflict and violence: The Conflict Tactics (CT) Scales. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 41, 75–88.Google Scholar
Straus, M. A. (1991, September). Children as witnesses to marital violence: A risk factor for lifelong problems among a nationally representative sample of American men and women. Paper presented at the round table on children and violence, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Sturge-Apple, M. L., Davies, P. T., Winter, M. A., Cummings, E. M., & Schermerhorn, A. (2008). Interparental conflict and children's school adjustment: The explanatory role of children's internal representations of interparental and parent–child relationships. Developmental Psychology, 44, 1678–1690.Google Scholar
Tschann, J. M., Pasch, L. A., Flores, E., Marin, B. O., Baisch, M., & Wibbelsman, C. J. (2009). Nonviolent aspects of interparental conflict and dating violence among adolescents. Journal of Family Issues, 30, 295–319.Google Scholar
Vézina, J., & Hébert, M. (2007). Risk factors for victimization in romantic relationships of young women: A review of empirical studies and implications for prevention. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, 8, 33–66.Google Scholar
Waters, E., & Cummings, E. M. (2000). A secure base from which to explore close relationships. Child Development, 71, 164–172.Google Scholar
Wekerle, C., & Wolfe, D. A. (1999). Dating violence in mid-adolescence: Theory, significance, and emerging prevention initiatives. Clinical Psychology Review, 19, 435–456.Google Scholar
Widom, C. S. (1989). Does violence beget violence? A critical examination of the literature. Psychological Bulletin, 106, 3–28.Google Scholar
Wolfe, D. A., Scott, K., Wekerle, C., & Pittman, A. L. (2001). Child maltreatment: Risk of adjustment problems and dating violence in adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 40, 282–289.Google Scholar
Wolfe, D. A., Wekerle, C., Reitzel-Jaffe, D., & LeFebvre, L. (1998). Factors associated with abusive relationships among maltreated and nonmaltreated youth. Development and Psychopathology, 10, 61–85.Google Scholar
Woodward, L. J., Fergusson, D. M., & Horwood, L. J. (2002). Romantic relationships of young people with childhood and adolescent onset antisocial behavior problems. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 30, 231–243.Google Scholar
Yates, T. M., Dodds, M. F., Sroufe, L. A., & Egeland, B. (2003). Exposure to partner violence and child behavior problems: A prospective study controlling for physical abuse and neglect, child cognitive ability, socioeconomic status, and life stress. Development and Psychopathology, 15, 199–218.Google Scholar