Exposure to Childhood Maltreatment as Related to Adult Intimate Partner Victimization among College Students: The Contribution of Childhood Polyvictimization
This study will explore polyvictimization as a child and the effects of this on adult intimate personal violence. The study consisted of 260 surveys of participants at a northeastern middle size university. Cross tabulations and binomial regressions were conducted. The current study had two objectives: 1) to examine the extent of partner victimization and child maltreatment (witnessing intra-parental abuse and/or experiencing child abuse/sexual abuse) among a sample of college students and determine whether these experiences vary by gender; 2) to explore whether polyvictimization, including child maltreatment, may increase the risk of intimate partner victimization in adulthood. Findings revealed that women were statistically significantly more likely than men to report experiencing higher rates of psychological, physical and sexual abuse as an adult, although findings indicated men were also victimized by a partner within the last year. A large number of respondents reported experiencing maltreatment as a child, which included physical abuse, sexual abuse, or witnessing abuse by a parent/caregiver, although findings in the current study revealed no significant differences between men and women. The results also found some support for the effects of polyvictimization and adult intimate partner victimization. Implications and directions for further research are discussed. It is suggested that institutions develop means to educate and address these concerns for all genders. Parents/caregivers and health professionals should be made aware of effects on adults’ experiences of intimate partner violence that violence witnessed as a child and abuse experienced as a child may have.
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