Association Between Childhood Maltreatment and Adult Intimate Partner Violence Victimisation: Findings From a National Survey in Australia

Intimate partner violence (IPV) victimisation is a pressing global health issue. Research suggests childhood maltreatment (CM) increases the risk of IPV in adulthood, yet gaps remain in understanding these links. Few studies examine all five types of CM and IPV, and between specific CM types (and co-occurring types) and specific IPV types. Studies seldom employ robust approaches to obtain reliable data, and few studies involve nationally representative samples, or control for co-occurring CM experiences. This study analyses data from 8,503 Australians, a nationally representative sample, who reported CM and lifetime IPV via validated tools. Logistic regression and multinomial models assessed links between each CM type and three IPV types, plus multi-type IPV. Overall, 56.8% of participants who experienced any CM experienced a type of IPV, compared to 24.4% who did not experience CM. Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA; OR 1.9, 95% CI [1.6, 2.2]) and Childhood Emotional Abuse (CEA; OR 1.7, [1.4, 2.0]) had the strongest associations with any IPV, and with each type of IPV (CSA: OR 1.8 [1.5, 2.1] for physical IPV, 2.7 [2.2, 3.4] for sexual IPV, 1.7 [1.4, 2.0] for psychological IPV; CEA: OR 1.5 [12, 1.7] for physical IPV, 1.9 [1.4, 2.4] for sexual IPV, 1.7 [1.4, 2.0] for psychological IPV). Each type of CM was associated with individuals' lifetime experience of all three co-occurring types of IPV; however, CSA (OR 4.6, [3.7, 5.6]) and CEA (OR 2.1, [1.7, 2.7]) were most strongly associated, followed by CPA (OR 1.9, [1.5, 2.3]). Multi-type CM, especially involving all three forms of CM involving direct acts of commission (CSA, CEA and Childhood Physical Abuse [CPA]), increased the likelihood of experiencing multi-type IPV. Findings demonstrate the need for interventions to reduce CM and address its impacts, especially in individuals who experience multiple forms of maltreatment, to reduce cycles of revictimisation.