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Adolescent Risk for Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration

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Abstract

The prevention of intimate partner violence is a desirable individual and public health goal for society. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive assessment of adolescent risk factors for partner violence in order to inform the development of evidence-based prevention strategies. We utilize data from the Rochester Youth Development Study, a two decade long prospective study of a representative community sample of 1000 participants that has extensive measures of adolescent characteristics, contexts, and behaviors that are potential precursors of partner violence. Using a developmental psychopathology framework, we assess self-reported partner violence perpetration in emerging adulthood (ages 20–22) and in adulthood (ages 29–30) utilizing the Conflict Tactics Scale. Our results indicate that risk factors for intimate partner violence span several developmental domains and are substantially similar for both genders. Internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors as well as early intimate relationships are especially salient for both genders. Additionally, cumulative risk across a number of developmental domains places adolescents at particularly high risk of perpetrating partner violence. Implications for prevention include extending existing prevention programs that focus on high risk groups with multiple risks for developmental disruption, as well as focusing on preventing or mitigating identified risk factors across both genders.

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Acknowledgments

Support for the Rochester Youth Development Study has been provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (R01CE001572), the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (2006-JW-BX-0074, 86-JN-CX-0007, 96-MU-FX-0014, 2004-MU-FX-0062), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA020195, R01DA005512), the National Science Foundation (SBR-9123299), and the National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH56486, R01MH63386). Work on this project was also aided by grants to the Center for Social and Demographic Analysis at the University at Albany from NICHD (P30HD32041) and NSF (SBR-9512290). We would like to thank the New York State Office of Children and Family Services for their assistance in collecting the Child Protective Services data. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the funding agencies.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, 135 Western Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA

    Carolyn A. Smith

  2. Department of Criminal Justice and Forensic Science, Hamline University, 1536 Hewitt Avenue, Saint Paul, MN, 55104, USA

    Sarah J. Greenman

  3. Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland, 2220 LeFrak Hall, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Terence P. Thornberry

  4. Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, 1879 Campus Delivery, B219d Clark, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA

    Kimberly L. Henry

  5. Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Niagara University, Niagara University, NY, 14109, USA

    Timothy O. Ireland

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  1. Carolyn A. Smith
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  4. Kimberly L. Henry
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  5. Timothy O. Ireland
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Correspondence to Carolyn A. Smith.

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Smith, C.A., Greenman, S.J., Thornberry, T.P. et al. Adolescent Risk for Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration. Prev Sci 16, 862–872 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-015-0560-0

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