SS2 - Adverse Childhood Experiences and Perceived Victim Culpability in Domestic Violence
SCURS Disciplines
Psychology
Document Type
General Presentation (Oral)
Invited Presentation Choice
Not Applicable
Abstract
Relationships are experienced by millions of people each year and play an important role in their lives. Whether it's between high school sweethearts or adults who already have children and careers, relationships are an expression of feelings and a dynamic between partners who each have their own way of treating the other. Previous research indicates that experiences of trauma in childhood or before legal adulthood may predict intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization later in life (Li et al., 2019). Early experiences of victimization can also create patterns of dependency that make individuals more likely to rely on abusive partners for financial or housing stability (Kane & Bornstein, 2018). However, blaming or disbelieving victims of IPV continues to be a widespread problem. It is still unclear whether earlier adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) influence how people view victim blame and responsibility, and whether these perceptions differ depending on the type of IPV that occurs. The current study investigated whether ACEs and the type of IPV (psychological or physical and psychological) influence perceived victim culpability (i.e., blame, cause, and responsibility). Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: reading an online post detailing psychological abuse or psychological and physical abuse combined. After reading the fictitious Reddit post, they were asked to rate how much they believed the victim should be blamed, to what extent they were the cause of the IPV event, and how responsible they were for the IPV event. Then, participants were instructed to complete a domestic violence myth acceptance scale. Afterward, they completed the ACE questionnaire and demographic survey. It was hypothesized that higher culpability would be attributed to the IPV event involving physical and psychological abuse. It was also hypothesized that participants who had experienced more adverse childhood experiences would be likely to minimize the abuse and victim blame when it came to the IPV described. Findings may suggest that adverse childhood experiences affect the way people view other victims of abuse, which could have important implications for understanding how survivors of abuse function in their own romantic relationships.
Keywords
Intimate Partner Violence, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Victim Blaming
Start Date
10-4-2026 2:25 PM
Location
CASB 108
End Date
10-4-2026 2:40 PM
SS2 - Adverse Childhood Experiences and Perceived Victim Culpability in Domestic Violence
CASB 108
Relationships are experienced by millions of people each year and play an important role in their lives. Whether it's between high school sweethearts or adults who already have children and careers, relationships are an expression of feelings and a dynamic between partners who each have their own way of treating the other. Previous research indicates that experiences of trauma in childhood or before legal adulthood may predict intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization later in life (Li et al., 2019). Early experiences of victimization can also create patterns of dependency that make individuals more likely to rely on abusive partners for financial or housing stability (Kane & Bornstein, 2018). However, blaming or disbelieving victims of IPV continues to be a widespread problem. It is still unclear whether earlier adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) influence how people view victim blame and responsibility, and whether these perceptions differ depending on the type of IPV that occurs. The current study investigated whether ACEs and the type of IPV (psychological or physical and psychological) influence perceived victim culpability (i.e., blame, cause, and responsibility). Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: reading an online post detailing psychological abuse or psychological and physical abuse combined. After reading the fictitious Reddit post, they were asked to rate how much they believed the victim should be blamed, to what extent they were the cause of the IPV event, and how responsible they were for the IPV event. Then, participants were instructed to complete a domestic violence myth acceptance scale. Afterward, they completed the ACE questionnaire and demographic survey. It was hypothesized that higher culpability would be attributed to the IPV event involving physical and psychological abuse. It was also hypothesized that participants who had experienced more adverse childhood experiences would be likely to minimize the abuse and victim blame when it came to the IPV described. Findings may suggest that adverse childhood experiences affect the way people view other victims of abuse, which could have important implications for understanding how survivors of abuse function in their own romantic relationships.