Adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner aggression in the US: Sex differences and similarities in psychosocial mediation

Abstract

Six in ten people in the general population have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health problem in the US. The main objective of this study was to assess sex differences in the role of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and depression as mediators in the association between ACEs and intimate partner aggression. Data were obtained from Wave 2 (2004–2005) of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the mediational role of PTSD, substance abuse and depression in the association between ACE constructs (neglect, physical/psychological abuse, sexual abuse, parental violence, and parental incarceration/psychopathology) and intimate partner aggression. Among men, PTSD mediated the relationship between sexual abuse and intimate partner aggression. However, among men and women, substance abuse mediated the relationship between physical and psychological abuse and intimate partner aggression. IPV programs geared towards aggressors should address abuse (sexual, physical and psychological), which occurred during childhood and recent substance abuse and PTSD. These programs should be implemented for men and women. Programs aimed at preventing abuse of children may help to reduce rates of depression and PTSD in adulthood, and subsequent intimate partner aggression.

Sex and sexual orientation disparities in adverse childhood experiences and early age at sexual debut in the United States: Results from a nationally representative sample

“…ACEs were operationalized by questions asking about experiences during childhood as previously determined by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (Brown, Perera, Masho, Mezuk, & Cohen, 2015): (1) Neglect : if a respondent was left alone or unsupervised when they were too young to be left alone, that is, before age 10, went without things needed (clothes, school supplies), went hungry or failed to get medical treatment; (2) Physical/psychological abuse : if a parent or caregiver insulted or said hurtful things to, or threatened to hit or throw something at, or push, grabbed, shoved, slapped or hit the respondent causing marks, bruises or injury, or made the respondent fear that he/she would be physically hurt; (3) Sexual abuse : if an adult or other person had touched the respondent sexually, had the respondent touched him/her sexually, attempted to have sex or had sex with the respondent; (4) Parental violence : if the respondent witnessed his/her father or other adult male push, grab, slap, or throw something at his/her mother, hit mother with a fist or something hard, repeatedly hit mother for at least a few minutes, threaten mother with a knife/gun or use it to hurt her. Neglect , physical/psychological abuse , sexual abuse , and parental violence were analyzed in binary format (Yes vs. No) and Likert Scale format: “Very often”, “Fairly often”, “Sometimes”, “Almost never” and “Never”.…”

Sex Disparities in Adverse Childhood Experiences and HIV/STIs: Mediation of Psychopathology and Sexual Behaviors

“…ACEs were operationalized by 23 questions asking about experiences during childhood [46]: (1) If a respondent was left alone or unsupervised before age 10, (2) Went without things needed (clothes, school supplies), (3) Went hungry, or (4) Failed to get medical treatment; (5) If a parent or caregiver insulted or said hurtful things, (6) Threatened to hit or throw something at the respondent, (7) Made the respondent fear that he/she would be physically hurt, (8) Pushed, grabbed, shoved, slapped or hit the respondent, or (9) Hit the respondent causing marks, bruises or injury; (10) If an adult or other person had touched the respondent sexually, (11) Had the respondent touched him/her sexually, (12) Attempted to have sexual intercourse or (13) Had sexual intercourse with the respondent; (14) If the respondent witnessed his/her father or another adult male push, grab, slap, or throw something at his/her mother, (15) Hit mother with a fist or something hard, (16) Repeatedly hit mother for at least a few minutes, or (17) Threaten mother with a knife/gun or use it to hurt her. These ACEs were analyzed in a Likert Scale format: “Very often”, “Fairly often”, “Sometimes”, “Almost never” and “Never”.…”

“…However, some ACEs, which had relatively few respondents in some categories were recoded to Very often/Fairly often/Sometimes/Almost never versus Never (sexual abuse categories) or Very often/Fairly often versus Sometimes/Almost never versus Never (witnessing parental violence categories) [22]. Other ACEs were determined from questions asking if, before 18 years old, the respondent had lived with a parent or other adult who (18) Was a problem drinker, (19) Had abused drugs, (20) Had been incarcerated, (21) Had a mental illness, or (22) Had attempted and/or (23) Had committed suicide, each coded with a dichotomous (Yes vs. No) response [46]. Due to the distinct categorization of ACEs in our previous research [46], ACEs were then categorized as: neglect (items 1–4), physical/psychological abuse (items 5–9), sexual abuse (items 10–13), parental violence (items 15–17), and parental incarceration and psychopathology (items 18–23).…”

“…Other ACEs were determined from questions asking if, before 18 years old, the respondent had lived with a parent or other adult who (18) Was a problem drinker, (19) Had abused drugs, (20) Had been incarcerated, (21) Had a mental illness, or (22) Had attempted and/or (23) Had committed suicide, each coded with a dichotomous (Yes vs. No) response [46]. Due to the distinct categorization of ACEs in our previous research [46], ACEs were then categorized as: neglect (items 1–4), physical/psychological abuse (items 5–9), sexual abuse (items 10–13), parental violence (items 15–17), and parental incarceration and psychopathology (items 18–23). The constructs capture by the ACE questions in the NESARC are consistent with those covered by other widely used ACE questionnaires, such as the Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ), implemented by the World Health Organization [47], and the Adverse Childhood Experience Study Scale [48].…”

Preventing risky behaviours among young adolescents in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: A qualitative study

“…Experience of violence in childhood is associated with current and future use of violence in peer and intimate relationships, aggressive behavior and substance use (Brown, Perera, Masho, Mezuk, & Cohen, 2015; Foster & Brooks-Gunn, 2015; Schiff et al, 2014). Parents and youth in this study described an unstable home environment (e.g., parent alcohol consumption, IPV) and its consequences (e.g., economic instability, poor parenting) as related to youth use of violence in their relationships, problem drinking and their future behaviors.…”