Violence Across the Lifecourse

Violence Across the Lifecourse: Child Maltreatment, Intimate Partner Violence, and Elder Mistreatment

This presentation provides an overview of research on the connections between child maltreatment and later forms of violence that extend to and beyond mid-life. It discusses the developmental associations between child maltreatment, violence in adolescence, intimate partner violence (IPV), and elder mistreatment. It also reviews the existing, though limited, evidence on the close association between adult IPV and elder mistreatment. It explains what is known about the persistence of violence in and across family and other interpersonal relationships, noting where gaps in knowledge remain and where research is particularly strong. Throughout the presentation, the presenters draw on theories to help explain the mechanisms by which early violence exposure leads to later violence victimization and perpetration, as well as factors that mitigate risks and promote resilience in individuals who encounter and are at-risk for violence at different points in the lifecourse.

Presenters:
Todd I. Herrenkohl, Ph.D., is Professor and Marion Elizabeth Blue Professor of Children and Families at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. His scholarship focuses on the correlates and consequences of child maltreatment, risk and resiliency, and positive youth development. His funded studies and publications examine health-risk behaviors in children exposed to adversity, protective factors that buffer against early risk exposure, and prevention.

Karen A. Roberto, Ph.D. is a University Distinguished Professor, Executive Director of the Institute for Society, Culture and Environment, and Senior Fellow at the Center for Gerontology at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on health and social support in late life and includes studies of rural older women, dementia family caregiving, and elder abuse.

Sandy Bromley, JD, is the director of the Shelby County Crime Victims & Rape Crisis Center, a comprehensive victim service center providing crisis intervention, advocacy, counseling, and other services to victims.