Age-Related Patterns in Child-to-Parent Violence Across Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

The aim of this study was to examine the pattern of child-to-parent violence (CPV) across a broad age range, from early adolescence to late emerging adulthood. Specifically, the objectives were to analyze the linear and quadratic relationships between CPV types (psychological, physical, financial, and control/domain behaviors) and age, as well as to examine the interaction of sex within this relationship.

A total of 1959 adolescents (13-17 years) and 1046 young adults (18-25 years) completed, respectively, the adolescent and young adult versions of the Child-to-Parent Violence Questionnaire (CPV-Q).

Age was curvilinearly associated with psychological CPV (increasing until approximately age 19 and then decreasing), positively linearly associated with financial CPV (increasing with age), and negatively linearly associated with control/domain behaviors (decreasing with age). No significant association was found between age and physical CPV. Furthermore, boys and girls showed different age-related patterns in some CPV types.

These findings suggest that CPV does not disappear after adolescence, and that the pattern is not uniform throughout development nor the same for boys and girls. The results (1) underscore the importance of studying CPV considering developmental stage, sex, and the specific CPV types, and (2) may contribute to facilitate the early detection of CPV, anticipating changes in violence patterns, and guiding prevention strategies tailored to each developmental stage.