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Effects of Parental Substance Abuse on Current Levels of Domestic Violence: A Possible Elaboration of Intergenerational Transmission Processes

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Abstract

Research conducted on the intergenerational transmission of domestic violence has framed much of its inquiry from within the context of social learning theory. Although consistently significant, the effect size of social learning-derived intergenerational transmission variables is often small. This study was undertaken in an effort to broaden the theoretical basis of intergenerational transmission of family violence by assessing if incorporating parental substance abuse variables with exposure to violence in family of origin would increase the predictive power of a multiple regression model. Subjects (N = 74) were men in treatment for domestic violence. Paternal substance abuse was found to exert effects on respondents' violent behavior comparable to those from exposure to family of origin violence. Findings supported a need to broaden theoretical views of the etiology of domestic violence perpetration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, 13244-1230

    Kenneth Corvo

  2. Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106

    Elizabeth H. Carpenter

Authors
  1. Kenneth Corvo
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  2. Elizabeth H. Carpenter
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Corvo, K., Carpenter, E.H. Effects of Parental Substance Abuse on Current Levels of Domestic Violence: A Possible Elaboration of Intergenerational Transmission Processes. Journal of Family Violence 15, 123–135 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007557626788

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007557626788

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