Parental divorce, abuse, and domestic violence against adolescents: Possible associations

Background: Parental marital status may influence adolescents' exposure to abuse and domestic violence, with potential implications for their emotional and social well-being. Objectives: The objective was to verify the association between parents’ marital status and exposure to abuse and domestic violence in adolescents, as well as describe their socioeconomic characteristics aged 15 to 19 years. Methods: A cross-sectional, school-based epidemiological survey was carried out to evaluate a sample of 2293 high school students in the Metropolitan Region of Vitória - Espírito Santo (RMGV-ES). A modified version of the Brazilian Portuguese Family Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire was used. Results: Significant proportional differences were found regarding parental divorce/separation, the sex of the adolescent, the region of residence, the woman/mother being the head of the family, and an intermediate family income. In addition, it was found that parental divorce/separation is also associated with the history of adolescents’ exposure to domestic violence in childhood, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse (p-value<5%). Conclusions: Parental divorce/separation is linked to a history of childhood violence in adolescents. It is relevant to investigate the marital situation in order to propose strategies to cope with family problems. Keywords: Divorce, Domestic violence, Adolescents, Parenting, Cross-sectional.