The Relationship between Intimate Partner Violence and Youth Violence: A Systematic Literature Review

Youth are responsible for a great number of violent acts committed in the United States. Experiencing or witnessing some type of violence at home during childhood increases the possibility of engaging in violent behaviors as a youth. At present, no systematic literature reviews examined the impact of intimate partner violence (IPV) on the development of youth violence. IPV includes various types of abuse that one member of a couple commits against the other member. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to examine the literature and analyze the relationship between IPV and youth violence. Bandura’s social learning theory and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory were the theoretical basis for this study. A search of relevant databases was conducted for studies published between 2008 and 2018. A total of 565 articles were reviewed for this study, and 19 articles met the criteria and were selected for analysis. Data were analyzed into a narrative synthesis. Results of this study indicated that witnessing IPV related to children’s displays of aggression. The severity of violence exposure and types of abuse experienced were related to long-term consequences, such as becoming victims or perpetrators of violence or experiencing mental health consequences. Several other contextual factors were found to be related to youth violence. Results of this study can provide parents, teachers, school counselors, and other stakeholders information on how IPV relates to youth violence. Results of this study could be used to create contextualized programs designed to psychologically empower youth who have been exposed to IPV or create programs for the prevention of IPV