Early childhood domestic violence and adolescent outcomes: Does maternal aggression matter as much as paternal?

Exposure to domestic violence in early childhood is associated with adverse adolescent outcomes, yet research has predominantly focused on maternal victimisation, neglecting paternal victimisation and bidirectional violence. Using data from the Millennium Cohort Study involving a sample of 12,092 families, this study examines the differential association of maternal, paternal, and bidirectional domestic violence with adolescent mental health, conduct, substance use, physical health, and academic performance at age 17. Bidirectional violence exhibited the strongest negative associations, followed by violence against the mother, while violence against the father generally had the lowest but still significantly associated with detrimental adolescent outcomes. Associations with domestic violence were seen for all outcome domains except physical health and academic performance. We further explore how domestic violence exposure disrupts early family environments, linking it to poorer parent-child relationships, increased parental substance use, and worsened parental mental health. Results of our study underscore the need for early interventions targeting mutual aggression and holistic family-centred approaches to domestic violence screening. Addressing domestic violence across both maternal and paternal experiences is essential to improving adolescent functioning across a range of important developmental domains.