Exploring the Trajectory and Patterning of IPV Perpetration from Adolescence to Young Adulthood: A Growth-Curve Analysis

Angela M. Kaufman, Assumption College
Alfred DeMaris, Bowling Green State University

Prior empirical research on intimate partner violence (IPV) in adolescence and young adulthood often focuses on exposure to violence in the family-of-origin using retrospective and cross-sectional data. Doing so ignores the possibility that individuals’ families matter beyond simply the presence or absence of abuse, and that these effects may vary in different periods of the life course and across time. To address these issues, the present study employs five waves of longitudinal data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS) to investigate the trajectory of IPV from adolescence to young adulthood (N = 950 respondents, 4,750 person-periods) with a specific focus on how familial factors continue to matter across the life course. Results indicate that family-of-origin violence and parent-child relationship quality (PCRQ) are independent predictors of IPV. The effect of PCRQ on IPV also becomes greater as individuals age. Implications, policy recommendations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.