Child Protective Services Involvement As a Predictor of Intimate Partner Violence In Emerging Adulthood: Are There Differences By Sexual Identity?

Background and Purpose: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive health and social justice problem, with emerging adults (aged 18-30) and sexual minority individuals facing disproportionate victimization burden. Youth involved in the child welfare system may be particularly vulnerable to experiencing later IPV, as adverse childhood experiences (e.g., childhood maltreatment, family violence exposure) predict IPV victimization. Despite these well-documented risk factors for IPV exposure, few empirical studies have assessed the relationship between child welfare involvement and later IPV victimization after exiting the system; even fewer have investigated the moderating role of sexual identity. This is an important gap in our knowledge because sexual minority youth are overrepresented in the child welfare system. As such, this study explored the association of minors’ child protective services (CPS) involvement with later experiences of IPV by a current partner as emerging adults and whether this association differs by sexual identity.

Methods: Data were analyzed from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a population-based birth cohort study following children and their caregivers over a 22-year period. Participants (n=944) were emerging adults (mean age 22.3, SD=0.56) and mostly identified as cisgender female (58%), heterosexual or straight (78%), Black or African American (38%), and at or above the federal poverty level (66%). Nearly half (46%) of the sample reported any IPV victimization by a current partner, and 18% affirmed CPS involvement before the age of 18. Nested linear probability and logistic regression models examined multivariable associations and interaction effects. Supplementary models tested for robustness and sensitivity, including stratification by sexual identity and alternatively specified dependent variables.

Results: Findings indicate a strong, positive association between minors’ CPS involvement and IPV by a current partner as emerging adults (83% greater odds of victimization as compared to those without CPS involvement). Specifically, compared to those without CPS involvement, emerging adults with CPS histories are significantly more likely to experience psychological (74% greater odds), sexual (831% greater odds), and multiple types of IPV (i.e., psychological, physical, sexual; 91% greater odds) versus no IPV. Interacted models did not find moderation by sexual identity, and stratified supplementary models indicated statistically significant associations for the heterosexual group only. However, identifying as cisgender male appears to be a salient predictor of IPV victimization among this sample (55% greater odds of experiencing IPV compared to cisgender females), and CPS exposure as a minor amplifies this association.

Conclusions and Implications: Results highlight the conceptual and theoretical salience between childhood maltreatment and violence exposure across the lifespan. Male participants’ reports of IPV may be greater than expected among this sample, given the framing of survey questions and inclusion of items measuring psychological IPV in addition to more normative physical and sexual IPV measures. Future research should prioritize more inclusive samples and measures to better understand experiences and identities that are often highly stigmatized.