Was your mother or stepmother ever slapped, hit, kicked, punched or beaten up?
Did you live with anyone who was a problem drinker or alcoholic? Did you live with anyone who was depressed, mentally ill or suicidal? Did a parent or adult in your home ever swear at you, insult you, or put you down?
A University of Auckland study explores the association between experiencing adverse childhood events and being subjected to violence in later life.
Emotional abuse at home as a child means you’re nearly three times more likely to experience violence from an intimate partner in later life, the research shows.
Experiencing just one adverse event in childhood – as half of the population does – is associated with increased odds of being subject to violence later.
The research, published in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect, analysed the responses of nearly 2,900 people who took part in New Zealand’s 2019 Family Violence Survey.