Harsh physical discipline in childhood and violence in later romantic involvements: The mediating role of problem behaviors

This study examines the impact that experiencing harsh physical discipline in childhood and engaging in problem behaviors during adolescence and young adulthood have on experiencing and perpetrating intimate violence. Using L ISREL 7, we tested a model based on social learning theory, Freudian theory , and theories of deviance. The 608 cases analyzed are from a longitudinal study of adolescents conducted in 1982 and 1992-1993. The results suggest t hat harsh physical punishment in childhood is directly related to greater p erpetration of violence against an intimate partner rarer in life. The enac tment of problem behaviors in adolescence and young adulthood was also foun d to increase the level of perpetration of violence against an intimate par tner. In addition, harsh physical punishment in childhood was found to be i ndirectly but significantly; related to increased perpetuation via the inte rvening variables of adolescent and young adult problem behavior. We hypoth esized that perpetration and victimization are significantly related to one another bidirectionally, but the results only support that greater levels of perpetration lead to increased levels of victimization.