Breaking the Chain or Forging It?
The Intergenerational Transmission of Intimate Partner Violence through Adverse Childhood Experiences and Parenting Styles among Couples in Ibadan, Nigeria
Abstract
Married adults in urban Nigerian settings represent a population with developmental histories of adversity and family socialisation experiences that can affect intimate partner violence (IPV). Despite growing awareness of intergenerational pathways to violence in sub-Saharan Africa, research on how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and parenting styles jointly shape IPV outcomes among married couples in Nigeria remains limited. This study examined how ACEs and parenting styles predict IPV and its dimensions (negotiation and conflict resolution, psychological/verbal aggression, physical assault, and sexual coercion) among married adults in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional ex-post facto design was employed, with 313 married adults aged 20–62 years (M = 33.70, SD = 23.94). Data were collected using the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2), the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire, and the Perceived Parenting Style Scale. Data were analysed using Pearson correlation, hierarchical multiple regression, independent samples t-test, and standard multiple regression. Results showed that ACEs and parenting styles jointly predicted intimate partner violence and its dimensions [F(9,145) = 5.96, R² = .27, ΔR² = .13, p < .001], but not psychological/verbal aggression. Independently, physical abuse (β = -0.25, p < .01), physical neglect (β = -0.22, p < .05), and authoritative parenting (β = 0.30, p < .001) significantly predicted overall IPV. Emotional neglect independently predicted psychological/verbal aggression (β = 0.30, p < .05). Gender, age, and number of children did not significantly predict IPV or any of its dimensions. Conclusively, these findings indicate that intimate partner violence in Nigerian urban contexts is shaped by distinct dimensions of childhood adversity and parenting practices, with authoritative parenting demonstrating unexpected positive associations. Interventions should be developmentally informed, culturally grounded, and address specific forms of early adversity while recognising the contextual variability of parenting influences.
