Influence of Family Functioning and Communication on Intimate Partner Violence in Female University Students who Migrated to Metropolitan Lima

Abstract

Objective: To determine the influence of family functioning and family communication as predictors of intimate partner violence in female university students who migrated internally to Metropolitan Lima in Peru.
 
 Material And Methods: Cross-sectional and predictive study, developed in a sample of n=310 young women, with an average age of 21 years, selected by non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES-IV), the Family Communication Scale (FCS) and the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) were used. Descriptive and inferential analyses were estimated for the relationship of variables, Pearson's coefficient and multiple linear regression to determine the prediction of intimate partner violence using SPSS v. 26.
 
 Results: We found significant inverse relationships between intimate partner violence and family communication, balanced cohesion, balanced flexibility and rigid flexibility. While the chaotic flexibility scale was directly related to intimate partner violence. Likewise, family communication and family functioning predict 13.1% of intimate partner violence, and as family communication increases, intimate partner violence decreases (β= -0.10; 95%CI: -0.16 to -0.03).
 
 Conclusion: Coming from families with balanced cohesion, rigid, balanced flexibility decrease the risk of being victims of intimate partner violence and dysfunctional family communication increases intimate partner violence predicting 13.1% of intimate partner violence. Further studies could increase the sample of rural and urban areas to confirm the approximation we report.