Family Comm. &Violence 1
Family Communication Patterns, Corporal Punishment and Social Support and their
Effects on Relational Violence in Adult Children’s Romantic Relationships
Of all aspects of family relationships, the most puzzling and disturbing is that of
family violence. Not only does violence introduce a significant amount of negative affect
into what are arguably our most intimate and important interpersonal relationships, but
family violence also affects family members social relationships outside the family.
Studies of family violence have demonstrated the negative impact of physical aggression
in families on behavioral outcomes in children and adults alike (Salzinger, Feldman, Ng-
Mak, Mojica, Stockhammer, & Rosario, 2002; Whitfield, Anda, Dube, & Felitti, 2003).
These negative outcomes not only affect current relationships of family members, but
future relationships as well. Studies of violence in romantic relationships and have found
that violence in the family of origin predicts the occurrence of intimate partner violence
(Carr & VanDeusen, 2002; Simons, Lin & Gordon, 1998). Finally, the effects of violence
in families are not limited to violence committed during volatile family conflict, but has
also been associated with deliberate parental behaviors such as corporal punishment,
which has been linked to behavioral outcomes in children and adults such as an increase
in delinquent and antisocial behaviors, increased likelihood of future victimization, and
increased risk of abusing one’s own children (Gershoff, 2002; Swinford, DeMaris,
Cernkovich, & Giordano, 2000).
Whereas the link between child physical abuse and negative affect is
uncontroversial (Baumrind, Larzelere, Cowan, 2002), the link between corporal
punishment and negative outcomes is not (Baumrind, Larzelere, Cowan, 2002). In fact,
advocates of corporal punishment make that argument that corporal punishment
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