Physical and Psychological Intimate Partner Violence among Hispanic Origin Emerging Adults: Co-Occurrence, Bidirectionality, and Persistence

Using two waves of data from a multi-wave longitudinal survey of Hispanic origin young adults (n = 1,547), this study examined the empirical links between physical and psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and perpetration, and two key social risk factors in emerging adulthood (high-risk sexual behavior and poor mental health). Respondents were recruited from the Los Angeles, CA area. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analyses. Overall, our analyses found that incidents of IPV at an earlier time point predicted experiencing IPV at a later time point in a similar fashion, indicating that IPV persisted over time. Additionally, this study found that physical and psychological IPV often co-occurred, irrespective of the direction of the violence (perpetration or victimization). Next, respondents who reported a greater number of lifetime sexual partners and poor mental health reported more physical IPV perpetration. Among the socio-demographics, male respondents were more likely to face IPV physical victimization but less likely to perpetrate this form of violence than their female counterparts. This study highlights the importance of examining the co-occurrence, bidirectionality, and persistence of IPV in understanding its dynamic mechanisms, advancing risk identification, and developing preventive measures to mitigate IPV risks.