Adolescent Exposure to Parental Intimate Partner Violence and Delinquency: Investigating the Protective Effect of Parental Monitoring Knowledge

Mohini  Howlader; Emily Midouhas; Jennifer Allen

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.108014

Adolescent Exposure to Parental Intimate Partner Violence and Delinquency: Investigating the Protective Effect of Parental Monitoring Knowledge

Mohini Howlader, Emily Midouhas, Jennifer Allen

Department of Psychology

University College London

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Background: Exposure to parental intimate partner violence (IPV) has been linked to greater adolescent delinquency. While parental monitoring knowledge is associated with reduced delinquency, it is not yet known whether increased parental monitoring knowledge might act as a protective factor for adolescents exposed to parental IPV.

Objectives: This study explored parental IPV-exposure and delinquency during adolescence, and the long-term protective effect of parental monitoring knowledge on reduced delinquency levels. Participants and Setting: This study used secondary data on 4,782 children and their parents from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS).

Methods: Parents reported on IPV exposure at ages 11 and 14. At age 14, adolescents and their caregivers reported on parental knowledge of the adolescents’ social activities, and adolescents reported on their parents’ active monitoring. Self-reported delinquency was measured at ages 14 and 17. Complex samples ordinal regressions compared adolescents exposed to parental IPV for the first time during adolescence to propensity-matched controls with no current or lifetime history of parental IPV exposure. Controls were matched for gender, ethnicity, poverty status, and harsh parenting.

Results: Delinquency increased more across adolescence in IPV-exposed vs. non-IPV-exposed adolescents (p ≤ .05), and adolescent-reported parental knowledge significantly moderated the relationship between IPV exposure and change in delinquency (p ≤ .05).

Conclusion: When IPV occurred during adolescence, resilience was promoted by parents possessing greater knowledge about their adolescents' social activities. Thus, parental monitoring knowledge may be critical to target as part of interventions aiming to reduce adolescent delinquency within the context of parental IPV.

Original language	English
Article number	108014
Journal	Child Abuse and Neglect
Volume	175
Early online date	25 Mar 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.108014
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 25 Mar 2026

Data Availability Statement

The raw data in the current study has been obtained from the Millennium Cohort Study, which can be freely accessed by researchers through the UK Data Service.

Acknowledgements

We thank the children and families involved in the Millennium Cohort Study for their participation, alongside the Centre for Longitudinal Studies (University College London) and UK Data Service for providing access to the data. We also thank statistical advisor Andrew Chapman from the Mathematics Resource Centre team at the University of Bath for his guidance and help throughout this project.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

Intimate partner violence
Delinquency
Adolescence
Parental monitoring
Parenting
Parental monitoring knowledge

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Psychiatry and Mental health

Access to Document

10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.108014Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Adolescent Exposure to Parental Intimate Partner Violence and Delinquency: Investigating the Protective Effect of Parental Monitoring Knowledge",

abstract = "Background: Exposure to parental intimate partner violence (IPV) has been linked to greater adolescent delinquency. While parental monitoring knowledge is associated with reduced delinquency, it is not yet known whether increased parental monitoring knowledge might act as a protective factor for adolescents exposed to parental IPV. Objectives: This study explored parental IPV-exposure and delinquency during adolescence, and the long-term protective effect of parental monitoring knowledge on reduced delinquency levels. Participants and Setting: This study used secondary data on 4,782 children and their parents from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS). Methods: Parents reported on IPV exposure at ages 11 and 14. At age 14, adolescents and their caregivers reported on parental knowledge of the adolescents{\textquoteright} social activities, and adolescents reported on their parents{\textquoteright} active monitoring. Self-reported delinquency was measured at ages 14 and 17. Complex samples ordinal regressions compared adolescents exposed to parental IPV for the first time during adolescence to propensity-matched controls with no current or lifetime history of parental IPV exposure. Controls were matched for gender, ethnicity, poverty status, and harsh parenting. Results: Delinquency increased more across adolescence in IPV-exposed vs. non-IPV-exposed adolescents (p ≤ .05), and adolescent-reported parental knowledge significantly moderated the relationship between IPV exposure and change in delinquency (p ≤ .05). Conclusion: When IPV occurred during adolescence, resilience was promoted by parents possessing greater knowledge about their adolescents' social activities. Thus, parental monitoring knowledge may be critical to target as part of interventions aiming to reduce adolescent delinquency within the context of parental IPV. ",

keywords = "Intimate partner violence, Delinquency, Adolescence, Parental monitoring, Parenting, Parental monitoring knowledge",

author = "Mohini Howlader and Emily Midouhas and Jennifer Allen",

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language = "English",

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journal = "Child Abuse and Neglect",

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N2 - Background: Exposure to parental intimate partner violence (IPV) has been linked to greater adolescent delinquency. While parental monitoring knowledge is associated with reduced delinquency, it is not yet known whether increased parental monitoring knowledge might act as a protective factor for adolescents exposed to parental IPV. Objectives: This study explored parental IPV-exposure and delinquency during adolescence, and the long-term protective effect of parental monitoring knowledge on reduced delinquency levels. Participants and Setting: This study used secondary data on 4,782 children and their parents from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS). Methods: Parents reported on IPV exposure at ages 11 and 14. At age 14, adolescents and their caregivers reported on parental knowledge of the adolescents’ social activities, and adolescents reported on their parents’ active monitoring. Self-reported delinquency was measured at ages 14 and 17. Complex samples ordinal regressions compared adolescents exposed to parental IPV for the first time during adolescence to propensity-matched controls with no current or lifetime history of parental IPV exposure. Controls were matched for gender, ethnicity, poverty status, and harsh parenting. Results: Delinquency increased more across adolescence in IPV-exposed vs. non-IPV-exposed adolescents (p ≤ .05), and adolescent-reported parental knowledge significantly moderated the relationship between IPV exposure and change in delinquency (p ≤ .05). Conclusion: When IPV occurred during adolescence, resilience was promoted by parents possessing greater knowledge about their adolescents' social activities. Thus, parental monitoring knowledge may be critical to target as part of interventions aiming to reduce adolescent delinquency within the context of parental IPV.

AB - Background: Exposure to parental intimate partner violence (IPV) has been linked to greater adolescent delinquency. While parental monitoring knowledge is associated with reduced delinquency, it is not yet known whether increased parental monitoring knowledge might act as a protective factor for adolescents exposed to parental IPV. Objectives: This study explored parental IPV-exposure and delinquency during adolescence, and the long-term protective effect of parental monitoring knowledge on reduced delinquency levels. Participants and Setting: This study used secondary data on 4,782 children and their parents from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS). Methods: Parents reported on IPV exposure at ages 11 and 14. At age 14, adolescents and their caregivers reported on parental knowledge of the adolescents’ social activities, and adolescents reported on their parents’ active monitoring. Self-reported delinquency was measured at ages 14 and 17. Complex samples ordinal regressions compared adolescents exposed to parental IPV for the first time during adolescence to propensity-matched controls with no current or lifetime history of parental IPV exposure. Controls were matched for gender, ethnicity, poverty status, and harsh parenting. Results: Delinquency increased more across adolescence in IPV-exposed vs. non-IPV-exposed adolescents (p ≤ .05), and adolescent-reported parental knowledge significantly moderated the relationship between IPV exposure and change in delinquency (p ≤ .05). Conclusion: When IPV occurred during adolescence, resilience was promoted by parents possessing greater knowledge about their adolescents' social activities. Thus, parental monitoring knowledge may be critical to target as part of interventions aiming to reduce adolescent delinquency within the context of parental IPV.

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KW - Parenting

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Adolescent Exposure to Parental Intimate Partner Violence and Delinquency: Investigating the Protective Effect of Parental Monitoring Knowledge

Abstract

Data Availability Statement

Acknowledgements

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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