THE ASSOCIATIONS AMONG FAMILY-OF-ORIGIN VIOLENCE AND YOUNG-ADULTS CURRENT DEPRESSED, HOPELESS, SUICIDAL, AND LIFE-THREATENING BEHAVIOR

The purpose of the current study was to determine if college students' retrospective reports of family-of-origin physical abuse were related to their current reports of depressed symptomology, hopelessness, and suicidal and life-threatening behavior Consistent with hypotheses, ab use by a parent (physical and psychological) and physical perpetration toward a parent were associated with increased rates of suicidal and life-threatening behavior Gender of the parent was also shown to be im portant as symptoms of depression were related to mother but not fathe r victimization and perpetration. Contrary to expectation, witnessing parental spouse abuse was not associated with young adults' current sy mptoms of depression, hopelessness, and suicidal and life-threatening behavior These findings were interpreted with regard to the intergener ational transmission of violence theory.