Victim or Abuser: Victimisation by Domestic Violence as a Predictor of Violent Behaviour of Juveniles towards Family Members

Abstract

Domestic violence (DV) manifests itself in different forms, given the specific dynamics of the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim. In addition to partner violence, child abuse and violence against the elderly, in recent years scientists have focused on the violent behaviour of juveniles towards other family members. The results of the research unequivocally point out the victimisation of juveniles as a risk factor for their violent behaviour towards parents and siblings. The paper aims to present a part of the research findings on juvenile domestic violence in Serbia on the connection between the victimisation of juveniles and their violent behaviour towards family members. The research was conducted on a sample of 1335 students of elementary (7th and 8th grade) and high (all grades) schools in Belgrade and Novi Sad. The results show a high prevalence of domestic violence committed by juveniles and a high prevalence of their victimisation by domestic violence. Additionally, the findings indicate a possibility of prediction of juvenile domestic violence, with the experience of victimisation as the most significant predictor of all risk factors that were tested.