Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence: Young People’s Perspectives on Their Life Courses
Population surveys involving North American youth suggest that between 14% and 19% of young people are likely to have been exposed to intimate partner violence during childhood. Such violence and its aftermath can have a significant impact on the life course trajectories of young adults, although this impact can also be tempered or aggravated by other life experiences. Based on semi-structured interviews with 35 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 who were exposed to intimate partner violence in childhood or adolescence, this qualitative study aims to learn more about the connections between such exposure and other life course experiences. An adapted Life History Calendar was used during data collection. In addition to highlighting the superposition of study participants’ life course trajectories, analysis of the data also demonstrates the importance of agency in determining how these trajectories influence each other. Studies on exposure to intimate partner violence therefore need to consider not only the life contexts of the young people involved, but also the meaning these individuals ascribe to their experiences and to the actions they decide to take.