Experiencing abuse or neglect as a child can increase the risk of being victimised by a romantic partner in adulthood, by impacting personality and mental health development, finds a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers.
Previous studies have found people who are abused or neglected in childhood are three to six times more likely to experience intimate partner violence as adults. The authors of the new The Lancet Regional Health–Europe paper were seeking to understand why that relationship exists, in order to develop better ways to disrupt this process and reduce the risk of intimate partner violence.
The researchers identified specific psychological impacts of childhood maltreatment that can increase a person's vulnerability to intimate partner violence.
Lead author Dr Patrizia Pezzoli (UCL Division of Psychology & Language Sciences) said: "What this study tells us is that childhood maltreatment can leave psychological marks that can increase the risk of harm in romantic relationships. But those marks are not immutable and can be addressed in targeted interventions."
Previous studies looking into characteristics of people who have experienced both childhood abuse and intimate partner violence have not yet clarified whether such traits 'transmit' the effect of childhood maltreatment, or whether they simply reflect the fact that some people are, by virtue of genetic or environmental risk factors, more broadly vulnerable to different forms of victimisation.
To help answer this question, the authors of the new paper used data from over 11,000 participants of the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS), a large, population-based cohort of twins born in the 1990s in England and Wales. The dataset included measures of 18 personality and mental health characteristics taken when participants were 22 years old, including factors such as self-control, aggression, anxiety, and subjective wellbeing. Participants also answered questions about their histories of maltreatment in childhood and abuse during their adult relationships. Using the twin study design enabled the researchers to separate what is shared between family members, including genes and shared family environments, from what is unique to each individual.
Even after accounting for inherited vulnerability to victimisation, the researchers found that childhood maltreatment still independently shapes psychological development in ways that increase the risk of intimate partner violence victimisation in young adulthood.
The researchers identified three main psychological characteristics among people who have experienced childhood abuse that contribute to their later vulnerability to domestic abuse: low subjective wellbeing, conduct problems and aggression.
Low subjective wellbeing, characterised by dissatisfaction with one's relationships, community and financial security, is a well-recognised outcome of childhood adversity. The findings suggest it may reflect a reduced capacity to build and maintain the kind of supportive social environment that protects against further harm. Conduct problems and aggression – encompassing anger, hostility, and verbal and physical aggression – have long been associated with early adversity.
Dr Pezzoli said: "These psychological vulnerabilities are not character flaws; they can emerge as adaptations to challenging environments. This distinction is important, as the findings should not be misinterpreted as placing blame on individuals for their experiences."
The study found that both childhood maltreatment and intimate partner violence victimisation have a heritable component – that is, part of the risk for each is influenced by genetic factors. The researchers say it's important to clarify that genes do not cause someone to be victimised – instead, genetic factors can shape ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving that can make certain experiences more likely – and understanding the ways someone may become more vulnerable does not take away any blame from perpetrators of violence and abuse.
The researchers say that domestic abuse prevention programmes tend to be universal, such as school-based relationship education programmes, but their latest findings suggest that more tailored programmes targeted at people who have experienced childhood abuse or neglect could be particularly helpful.
Dr Pezzoli said: "The traits identified in this study are not inevitable or permanent consequences of childhood maltreatment. While evidence-based programmes specifically targeting this group are lacking, these findings provide a clearer roadmap for what such interventions could address, and adolescence may be a particularly important window, given how formative early relationship experiences can be."
