Abstract
In this paper we test several specific hypotheses derived from the intergenerational transmission of violence thesis to see if exposure to physical abuse has a special role in the etiology of violence. We employ a systematic statistical approach using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Our findings suggest that a history of physical abuse is strongly associated with frequency of violence, but the association is not specific to violence and is mediated by their common association with nonviolent offending. Further, the association between physical abuse and violence is not significantly larger than the association between neglect or sexual abuse and violence. In summary, the data suggest that the association between abuse and violence is not unique to physical abuse and that the impact of physical abuse is not specific to violent behavior.
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Author Note
Joanne Savage, MA, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Justice, Law and Criminology at American University. Her current research interests focus on the development of physically aggressive and violent behavior, and the differential etiology of violence compared to other forms of crime. She received her PhD from the University of California at Irvine.
Jane E. Palmer, MSW, PhD, is a Professorial Lecturer in the Department of Public Administration and Policy and Director of the Community-based Research Scholars Program at American University. Her research focuses on gender-based violence prevention. Previously she worked as a social worker and program manager in violence prevention and anti-abuse programs in Chicago and St. Louis. She received her PhD from American University.
Alison B. Martin, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Research Associate with the National Institute of Justice. She works in the Office of Research and Evaluation and manages projects that support the research program on violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women, authorized under Title IX, Section 904(a) of the 2005 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
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Savage, J., Palmer, J.E. & Martin, A.B. Intergenerational Transmission: Physical Abuse and Violent vs. Nonviolent Criminal Outcomes. J Fam Viol 29, 739–748 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-014-9629-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-014-9629-y