Gender Differences in the Impact of Adolescent Maltreatment Victimization on Subsequent Sexual Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration

Abstract

ABSTRACT Prior research has determined that individuals with a history of maltreatment victimization during adolescence (i.e., neglect, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse prior to the age of 18) are more likely to perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV) against their partners later on in the life-course. The vast majority of this understanding, however, focuses on male perpetration against female victims, relies on clinical or offender data that is not widely generalizable, and does not specifically focus on sexual IPV. As such, there is little known about the impact of adolescent maltreatment victimization on later sexual IPV perpetration among women or how this might vary according to gender. In order to bridge these gaps in the literature, the current study examined how maltreatment victimization during adolescence influenced later sexual IPV perpetration, both in general and then separately according to gender, using nationally representative data from the public sample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Multivariate results indicated that adolescent maltreatment victimization increased one’s risk of perpetrating sexual IPV during adulthood, however this relationship was stronger for women than it was for men. The importance of these findings for future policy and research are discussed, particularly with regard to further gender-specific empirical study of sexual IPV perpetration and the development of gender-specific treatment initiatives aimed at reducing this type of offending.