Association Between Childhood Physical Abuse, Exposure to Parental Violence, and Alcohol Problems in Adulthood

Abstract

This article examines the association of exposure to parental violence during childhood and childhood physical abuse with the development of alcohol-related problems in adulthood among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics. A multistage area household probability sample of White, Black, and Hispanic couples (married or cohabiting), 18 or older, in the U.S. household population was interviewed in 1995. Analyses show an association between childhood physical abuse and exposure to parental violence and alcohol problems among White, Black, and Hispanic females and Hispanic males and an association between parental violence and alcohol problems among Black males. In sum, childhood physical abuse and exposure to parental violence are associated with the development of alcohol-related problems in adulthood. However, this association is ethnic and gender specific. Therefore, these violence-related experiences during childhood and adolescence have both immediate and long-term health consequences and should be addressed by health professionals in a variety of settings.