Intergenerational Transmission of Intimate Partner Violence and Its Impact on Adolescent Relationship Attitudes: A Qualitative Study

The purpose of this study was to explore the intergenerational transmission of intimate partner violence and the potential impact of a relationship education program on this process. Qualitative data regarding the perception of domestic violence experienced in the family of origin were collected through in-depth interviews. The effects of domestic violence in the family of origin were measured in regard to the adolescents' knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and engagement in intimate partner violence. The impact of the Love U2 Relationship Smarts education program was also examined, comparing two groups of adolescents: one group who experienced domestic violence in their families of origin and another group who did not experience violence in their families of origin. Nine adolescents, ages 17-22, were recruited from the Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) center in Louisville, Kentucky, to participate in the study. Qualitative analysis of data identified themes such as knowledge gained regarding types of violence, communication, the cycle of violence, the effects of substance abuse on relationships, what the adolescents want for their future children, and how to share relationship information with others. The findings support that those adolescents who experienced domestic violence in their family of origin were more accepting of violence in their dating relationships but that relationship education attenuated those effects.