Adverse Childhood Experiences, Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration, and Physical and Mental Health Among Young Adults

Background and Purpose: Research has shown that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as childhood exposure to violence, witnessing inter-parental violence, or being victimized by peer and community are linked to early normalization of IPV, which in turn, increases the risk of IPV perpetration. Studies have also found that ACEs could carry a substantial risk for lifelong physical and mental health problems. However, there is a gap in literature regarding the associations of ACEs and IPV perpetration with physical and mental health outcomes among young adults, a critical transitional stage of life between adolescence and adulthood. This study aims to examine the effects of ACEs and IPV perpetration on mental and physical health among young adults, specifically college students.

Methods: We collected data from four Universities in the U.S. and Canada (N=4843) via online survey. We measured self-rated health and mental health as two separate outcome variables which asked, “How would you rate your overall health/mental health – poor, fair, good, very good, or excellent?” Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration was measured by 12 items, such as “I pushed, grabbed, or shook my partner.” Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were assessed by three measures: having a history of (1) being abused and neglected as a child, using six items (e.g., not including spanking on your bottom, during your childhood did a grown-up in your life hit you?), (2) being exposed to peer and community victimization, using eight items (e.g., during your childhood, did any other kid ever hit you on purpose?), and (3) being exposed to parental IPV, using four items (e.g. during your childhood, did one of your parents get kicked, choked, or beat up by another parent?). We used gender, age, race, and income as covariates. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were employed to examine the effects of IPV perpetration and ACEs on physical health and mental health outcomes.

Results: Findings revealed that ACEs are associated with self-rated mental and physical health among young adults. Specifically, we found that all three measures of ACEs (i.e., childhood experiences of abuse and neglect, peer and community victimization, and parental IPV) were significantly associated with self-rated mental health after controlling for covariates (ß = -.137, p < .001; ß = -.206, p < .001; ß = -.058, p < .05, respectively); whereas only one measure of ACEs (i.e., exposures to peer and community victimization) was associated with self-rated physical health (ß = -.150, p < .001). IPV perpetration was not associated with self-rated mental and physical health.

Conclusions and Implications: These findings suggest that ACEs have critical effects on young adults’ physical and mental health outcomes. Understanding and identifying ACEs can help to inform social work practice that focuses on promoting both physical and mental health among young adults. In addition, this study offers important insights that can be used to shape future research investigations and advance social work practice and policy (e.g., preventing peer and community victimization during childhood) to enhance the lives of vulnerable young adults.