Adolescent dating and relationship quality: The role of exposure to intimate partner violence in early childhood

Children who grow up with exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) experience disproportionately greater cognitive, psychological, and emotional impairments when compared to their peers. Increasingly, research has provided evidence of the long-lasting effects of IPV exposure throughout the life course. This study uses data from four waves (baseline and Years 1, 3, and 15) of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) to examine how IPV exposure affects adolescents’ dating behavior and relationship quality at Year 15. Results indicate that those adolescents with exposure to physical violence at Years 1 and 3 were more likely to be in dating relationships at Year 15 than those without (effect size = 0.40), and for adolescents who were in a dating relationship at Year 15, IPV exposure, particularly exposure to physical violence, significantly reduced relationship quality (effect size = −0.24). These findings call for early screening of IPV exposure among mothers, children, and adolescents, as well as interventions to support victimized mothers and promote healthy adolescent relationships.