Gails Comments: See below a CDC study from Kenya. It is great to see CDC focusing on this need internationally. I would love to see CDC use the WHO international ACEs questionnaire to better understand links between childhood ACEs and many of the issues the CDC is trying to address internationally (ie., HIV/AIDs).
A new CDC study shows that female victims of childhood violence are more likely to experience physical intimate partner violence as a young adult.
Background
While there is substantial research on violence against children (VAC) and intimate partner violence (IPV), available information on the link between VAC and IPV is mixed and difficult to compare due to various factors. Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Government of Kenya and other research institutions analyzed data from the VAC survey in Kenya by focusing on females aged 18-24 who ever had an intimate partner. The researchers studied the connection between experiences of VAC and later experiences of physical IPV among young Kenyan women.
Key Findings
Young Kenyan women had a statistically higher risk of experiencing physical IPV in young adulthood if they had experienced any childhood violence. Specifically, respondents who experienced:
- Sexual violence during childhood had 2.4 times increased risk of reporting experiences of adult physical IPV
- Physical forced or pressure sex during childhood had 4.3 times increased chance of experiencing adult physical IPV
- Any form of childhood violence had 3.1 times greater chance of experiencing adult physical IPV
Call to Action
While this study identified links between violence in childhood and young adult experiences of physical IPV, future research should explore how childhood experiences of violence may shape risk of IPV in Kenya. This research along with others can lead to the development of interventions that break the cycle of childhood and young adult violence.
To learn more, visit: Cycle of violence among young Kenyan women: The link between childhood violence and adult physical intimate partner violence in a population-based survey
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