Like Parent, Like Child: Intergenerational Transmission of Partner Violence in Cebu, the Philippines

Abstract 

Purpose

This study investigates the prevalence of partner violence perpetration and receipt among a sample of young men and women in the Philippines, as well as the relationship between witnessing interparental violence during childhood and current violence in partnerships.

Methods

We used 1994, 2002, and 2005 data from 472 married or cohabiting young adults from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey in Cebu, the Philippines. This is a longitudinal data set following more than 2000 Filipino women and their index children since the child's birth in 1983–1984.

Results

Prevalence of partner violence perpetration was 55.8% for female and 25.1% for male respondents. Prevalence of victimization was 27.7% for females and 30.5% for males. In all, 45% of females and 50% of males reported having witnessed their parents/caretakers physically hurt one another during childhood. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that witnessing interparental violence significantly predicted report of violent act victimization and reciprocal violent acts. Greater parental joint decision making and being male were independently associated with a lower risk of report of both reciprocal violent acts and violent act victimization. Duration of marriage or cohabition was associated with report of violent act victimization and reciprocal violent acts. There were gender interaction effects for several factors, including mother's church attendance and household purchase of alcohol at age 11 years.

Conclusions

Implications for further research and violence prevention programs include early intervention with adolescents and focus on gender differences in violence determinants.

Keywords: Adolescent, Youth, Intimate partner violence, Domestic violence, Intergenerational transmission, Asia, Philippines