April 6, 2001 – How likely are battered children to become battering parents when they have children? According to a review of research carried out on the subject between 1965 and 2000, this risk is 4.75 to 37 times higher than normal.
These highly variable figures seem due to the fact that most studies on the subject have numerous methodological flaws. In fact, of the ten studies selected by the researchers, only one met all of their criteria. This research, which took into account the most confounding factors, found that the risk of abuse was almost 13 times higher than normal for parents who had themselves been beaten. This is called a phenomenon of intergenerational transmission.
The main risk factors for child maltreatment are the characteristics of the victims, their families, the social environment and the parent-child relationship. In this context, the fact that the parent himself was beaten is a major element.
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Ertem IO, Leventhal JM, Dobbs S. Intergenerational continuity of child physical abuse: how good is the evidence?Lancet. 2000 Sep 2; 356 (9232): 814-9. Review.