Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence in Childhood and Partner Violence Perpetration in Adulthood: The Mediating Role of Aggression

Although different studies have found that exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) in childhood is linked to IPV perpetration in adulthood, others have revealed null effects. Previous research has also found that some factors might mediate the relationship between exposure to IPV in childhood and later IPV perpetration. As far as we know, no studies examined the role of aggression in this relationship. This study aimed to analyze the link between exposure to IPV in childhood and IPV perpetration in adulthood and verify whether this relationship was mediated by aggression and its components (verbal and physical aggression, anger, and hostility). Two hundred and forty five men convicted of domestic violence, from prison and community, were recruited. Correlation analysis revealed a positive link between exposure to IPV in childhood, aggression traits, and specifically physical aggression, and IPV frequency in adulthood. Overall aggression traits and physical aggression traits were statistically significant mediator variables explaining almost 15% of the overall effect of exposure to IPV in childhood on overall IPV frequency in adulthood. These findings unravel the role of aggression in the perpetration of physical and total IPV, claiming our attention to the need to include strategies to increase emotion regulation and problem-solving strategies in intervention programs.