Intergenerational Transmission of Intimate Partner Violence: Summary and Current Research on Processes of Transmission
Intergenerational transmission of violence is among the most widely cited models for the observed pattern of intimate partner violence (IPV) concentrated across generations of at-risk families. According to this model, which was initially grounded in social learning theory, children who grow up in families where they are exposed to violence between parents and caregivers are at increased risk of perpetrating or experiencing intimate partner violence in their own adult relationships. This chapter begins with a summary of current evidence for the intergenerational transmission of IPV (IGTIPV), followed by a review of original and novel theoretical frameworks thought to inform the transmission process. Extending beyond imitation/modeling as the main route of transmission, three additional mechanisms which may underlie IPV transmission were identified via a review of recently published studies. Preliminary evidence and ongoing research related to each of these potential mechanisms is summarized. These mechanisms are: the impact of perinatal exposure to trauma, a consideration of the neurobiological mechanisms of transmission, and the role of developmental psychopathology in the transmission process. The chapter concludes with a discussion of directions for future research and implications for intimate partner and family violence prevention efforts that focus on multiple generations or on intervening in early childhood.
