Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Alcohol Use in Adulthood, and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Perpetration by Black Men: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious social and public health problem in the United States. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and alcohol use have been found to be associated with IPV perpetration; however, limited studies have examined the interrelationships of these variables among Black men. This is the first known study to systematically review and synthesize studies on the interrelationships of ACEs, alcohol use, and IPV perpetration among Black men. Comprehensive literature searches were conducted in PubMed and six EBSCOhost databases by a research librarian and two researchers. Twenty studies met inclusion criteria: empirical; available in English; included ACEs, alcohol use/substance abuse, and IPV perpetration variables in the analyses; and samples included Black/African American male IPV perpetrators aged ≥ 18 years. ACEs were found to be associated with IPV perpetration among Black men, but findings were mixed regarding the role of alcohol in relation to ACEs and IPV. Numerous ACE factors (1–6) were used across studies. However, findings regarding the co-occurrence of ACE factors are inconclusive because none of the studies examined the cumulative effects of exposure to more than one type of ACE on subsequent IPV perpetration. Implications for policy, practice, and research related to the interrelationships of ACEs, alcohol use, and IPV perpetration are provided. Future work is needed to better explicate the interrelationships among these constructs.