Beyond a binary: Introducing the role of timing in understanding the link between child maltreatment and intimate partner violence victimization in the Global South

Purpose

The study examines the associations between child maltreatment, including witnessing interparental violence and violence in the family of origin, and the timing of physical or sexual intimate partner violence (i.e., IPV) among married women in the Global South.

Methods

Data are drawn from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 46 nations. We consider if the experience of child maltreatment is associated with IPV that occurs before marriage among IPV victims (n = 66,693) and then among all married women (n = 255,607). Next, we estimate a multi-level survival analysis to ascertain the effect of child maltreatment on the time until the first incident of IPV in relation to when the woman married.

Results

Child maltreatment was not significantly associated with IPV occurring before marriage in the victim-only sample. Child maltreatment was associated with IPV before marriage among the full sample and a quicker time until the first incident (Witnessing interparental violence: Hazard Ratio = 2.01, p < 0.001; Experiencing violence: Hazard Ratio = 1.62, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Early life experiences of maltreatment speed up the time until that consequential first incident of IPV occurs. Findings provide direction on early targeted intervention for high-risk women who experience child maltreatment.