The mediating influence of interpersonal problems on the intergenerationaltransmission of relationship aggression

Intergenerational patterns of relationship aggression have received conside rable theoretical attention and empirical support. A developmental account of such effects suggests that childhood exposure to family violence leads t o interpersonal problems that are subsequently manifested in aggressive dat ing relationships. The current study tested this hypothesis using structura l equation modeling with data from a sample of female college students (N = 207). The theoretical model of interest, in which interpersonal problems w ith dominance, intrusiveness, and vindictiveness fully mediate the link bet ween violence in the family of origin and participation in physically aggre ssive dating relationships, provided a very good fit to the data. This medi ational model was preferable to alternative models that (a) included both d irect and indirect influences of family-of-origin violence, (b) reversed th e direction of effects by modeling interpersonal problems with dominance as a result of intimate partner aggression; and (c) modeled interpersonal pro blems with submissiveness as mediating intergenerational violence patterns. The findings implicate interpersonal problems with dominance as an importa nt mediating factor in the developmental pathway linking family-of-origin v iolence to intimate partner violence in adulthood for young adult women.