"Cruel Fathers," Assortative Matching and Spousal Violence: Does Witnessing Spousal Violence as a Child Increase the Chances of Adult Victimhood?

Abstract

The association between witnessing spousal violence (SV) as a child and the increased adult victimization is well-established, and explained in terms of neural adaptation. But establishing causation requires addressing issues of underreporting of both witnessing and facing violence, and endogeneity due to confounding variables. Moreover, the role of social pathways like nonrandom selection of partners also needs to be analyzed. Using India's Demographic Health Survey data (2019-2021), an endogenous treatment effects model is estimated allowing for different levels of predicted underreporting. Witnessing violence increases the chances of subsequent exposure to SV by 39-70% and may be explained in terms of assortative matching.