Peer-reviewed article

The association between school violence and physical child-to-parent violence: is exposure to parental violence a moderator?

Svensson R, Andersson L, Johnson B · 26 Sept 2026

Abstract

Background Child-to-parent violence (CPV) is a serious but under-researched form of family violence. There is a lack of previous studies examining whether school violence and exposure to parental violence interact in their association with CPV. We hypothesize that involvement in school violence - as victim or perpetrator - is more strongly associated with physical CPV among individuals who have been exposed to parental violence. Methods Data are drawn from a large cross-sectional study conducted in 35 schools in southern Sweden. The sample comprises 5,052 adolescents (46.7% male; Mage = 16.2, SD = 1.55). Linear probability models are used to calculate the associations between school violence, exposure to parental violence, and physical CPV. Results The results show that involvement in school violence - either as a victim, perpetrator, or victim/perpetrator - is positively associated with physical CPV. The results support the hypothesis that the association between involvement in school violence and physical CPV is stronger among those individuals who have been exposed to parental violence. Conclusions This study underscores the importance of further exploring how different contexts interact in their associations with CPV. These interactions suggest that a key question for future research is how to develop effective preventive strategies.