Citation

Straus MA, Savage SA. Child Maltreat. 2005; 10(2): 124-135.

Affiliation

Family Research Lab, University of New Hampshire, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077559505275507

PMID

15798008

Abstract

This article reports the prevalence of neglectful behavior by parents of university students in 17 nations (6 in Europe, 2 in North America, 2 in Latin America, 5 in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand) and tests the hypothesis that neglect is a risk factor for violence against a dating partner. The percentage at each university who experienced neglectful behavior ranged from 3.2% to 36% (median 12%), and the percentage who perpetrated violence against dating partners ranged from 15% to 45% (median 28%). Multilevel modeling found that the more neglectful behavior experienced as a child the greater the probability of assaulting and injuring a dating partner and that the link between experiencing neglect and perpetrating violence is stronger at universities in which dating violence is more prevalent. Efforts to help parents avoid neglectful behavior can make an important contribution to primary prevention of partner violence and probably also other forms of child maltreatment.