| Abstract [eng] |
Violence in romantic relationships is a significant societal and public health issue with long-term consequences for the well-being of young adults. It is associated with adverse childhood experiences, which can impact the development of empathy. Empathy has been linked to both an increased and decreased risk of violence in romantic relationships. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between adverse childhood experiences, violence in romantic relationships, and empathy among young adults. The sample consisted of 210 participants aged 18 to 29, all of whom had prior experience in romantic relationships. The majority of participants were women (88.1%), with an average age of 24.12 years (SD = 3.28). Instruments used included a demographic questionnaire, the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, Dating Violence Questionnaire for Victimization and Perpetration, Interpersonal Reactivity Index Scale, and additional questions regarding relationship quality and help-seeking behaviors. The results indicated that higher exposure to adverse childhood experiences was associated with both increased victimization and perpetration of violence in romantic relationships among young adults. Notably, lower rates of physical violence victimization was linked to greater cognitive empathy, while increased general and psychological violence victimization were associated with higher emotional empathy. Higher physical violence perpetration correlated with lower cognitive empathy, whereas no significant association was found between violence perpetration and emotional empathy. Adverse childhood experiences were not significantly related to empathy levels. Gender differences emerged, with men being more likely to experience physical violence victimization and perpetrate various forms of violence compared to women. Additionally, sexual minorities were more likely than their heterosexual peers to both experience and perpetrate violence in romantic relationships. Ultimately, the best predictors of experiencing violence were adverse childhood experiences, lower cognitive empathy, and higher emotional empathy, while predictors of perpetrating violence included adverse childhood experiences, lower cognitive empathy, male gender, and sexual minority status. These findings highlight the importance of future research examining the links between adverse childhood experiences, dating violence and empathy in young adults. |
