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Intimate Partner Violence in Cohabiting Families: Reports by Multiple Informants and Associations with Adolescent Outcomes

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Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is common, particularly in families with children. Observing such verbal and physical aggression has consistently been linked to unfavorable outcomes for affected children. Although cohabiting families are becoming increasingly prevalent and preliminary data suggest that rates of IPV may be high in these families, little is currently known about IPV and its impact as experienced by adolescents living in cohabiting families. This study used data from low-income urban Black cohabiting families (N = 92) to (1) examine agreement of reports of verbal and physical IPV between the adolescent and the mother and between the adolescent and the male cohabiting partner (MCP) and (2) test associations between IPV and youth mental health. A higher percentage of adolescents reported the occurrence of IPV, particularly physical violence, than did mothers and MCPs. Relative to those living in minimally violent or verbally violent homes, adolescents living in verbally and physically violent homes reported higher rates of internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. These youth also reported higher levels of self-blame for the conflict and a worse relationship with the MCP but not the mother.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Vermont, Dewey Hall, 2 Colchester Ave., Burlington, VT, 05405, USA

    Virginia Peisch, Justin Parent, Rex Forehand & Mathew Price

  2. National Development and Research Institute, New York, NY, USA

    Andrew Golub & Megan Reid

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  1. Virginia Peisch
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  2. Justin Parent
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  3. Rex Forehand
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  4. Andrew Golub
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  5. Megan Reid
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Correspondence to Rex Forehand.

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Funding

Funding for this project was provided by a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Grant (R01HD064723), (PI: Andrew Golub) and NICHD F31 (F31HD082858), (PI: Justin Parent).

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Virginia Peisch (doctoral student), University of Vermont; Justin Parent (doctoral student), University of Vermont; Rex Forehand (University Distinguished Professor), University of Vermont; Andrew Golub (Principal Investigator), National Development and Research Institute; Megan Reid (Project Director), National Development and Research Institute; Mathew Price (Assistant Professor), University of Vermont

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Peisch, V., Parent, J., Forehand, R. et al. Intimate Partner Violence in Cohabiting Families: Reports by Multiple Informants and Associations with Adolescent Outcomes. J Fam Viol 31, 747–757 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-016-9808-0

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