Renita Robinson
Published: 2013
Total Pages: 45
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Children’s exposure to violence is a serious social problem, but little is known about the educational implications for adolescents witnessing violence between parents. This study uses social learning theory (SLT) to examine the relationship between high school-aged adolescent students who witness parental intimate partner violence (IPV) and academic performance demonstrated by their grade point averages (GPA). A secondary analysis of data collected from the survey of 1,132 adolescent students in a medium sized, suburban/rural city was conducted. Of the respondents, 83% of the students did not witness parental IPV between parents. Students witnessing the most parental IPV had the lowest GPAs. The multiple regression analyses of GPA included measures of substance abuse, truancy, aggression and witnessing parental IPV, with controls for age, gender, race, and family income. Witnessing parental IPV is significantly associated with lower GPA after controlling for age, gender, race and family income. However, IPV becomes non-significant when mediating factors of substance abuse, truancy, aggression and IPV are added.