Factors associated with perpetration of intimate partner violence among college students in China

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health threat that contributes to a wide range of physical and mental health issues for victims. However, critical information on IPV in China is still lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine factors affecting IPV perpetration as well as victimisation in mainland China.

The data were from the International Dating Violence Study 2001-2006 (N=731). The lifetime prevalence of victimisation and perpetration of IPV (ie, physical, psychological and/or sexual) was used for analysis. The following individual characteristics and exposures were included in the analysis based on previous studies which showed an association between these characteristics and IPV: childhood sexual abuse history, substance abuse, violence socialisation, dominance, anger management and communication problems.

Perpetrators of physical IPV have a higher prevalence of being victims of IPV than non-perpetrators. Female perpetrators have a higher prevalence of anger management issues than male perpetrators. Levels of anger management and violence socialisation are predictors of physical IPV perpetration only for female perpetrators.

IPV interventions for victims should include interventions for perpetration given that many Chinese victims of IPV also perpetrate IPV. Practice and research on professional education and services for treating individuals who have IPV experience need to be developed in China.