Introduction : The aim of this research is to study the place – in terms of transmission and vicarious learning – of emotional, cognitive and behavioral parental patterns on love life of adults victims of Psychological Intimate Partner Violence (P-IPV). This research also tries to highlight a form of loyalty regarding the reproduction of emotional, cognitive and behavioral parental patterns. If there is any evidence of Psychological Child Abuse, this loyalty increases vulnerability to live Psychological Intimate Partner Violence in adulthood. It should be pointed out that there are three types of Psychological Child Abuse : psychological abuse, psychological and physical neglect. Physical and sexual violences were dealt with in another research : these also cause psychological damages. Moreover, for several authors, the observation of parental conjugal violence is a « derived » form of Psychological Child Abuse.
Method : Twenty two victims of Psychological Intimate Partner Violence– members of the association AJC– took part in a semi-structured research interview, exploring psychological violence during childhood, adolescence and adulthood. The transcripts of these interviews have been analysed then using the IRaMuTeQ software (qualitative analysis). In addition, an quantitative analysis has been made (using SPSS software) on the data from two questionnaires : the Conflict Tactic Scale 2 (CTS2, Luissier, 1998) and the Questionnaire de Repérage du Harcèlement Psychologique IntraConjugal (QR-HPIC, Arkoub, 2016).
Results : All analytical results (both of the interviews and the questionnaires) show that the experience of victims of Psychological Intimate Partner Violence is correlated with the experience of Psychological Child Abuse (r = .62, p < .05). Indeed, all victims report a climate of « control / take control » within their family nucleus during childhood and adolescence. Furthermore, we note the presence of a form of loyalty in the reproduction of emotional, cognitive and behavioral parental patterns. The habitual conflict of loyalty is transformed into a conflict of protection : in cases of psychological child abuse, the « loyalty » seems to push the child closer to the aggressor parent (in order to protect himself). In this situation, the child may also become an aggressor of the abused parent.
Discussion : As a child, learning dysfunctional behaviors and psychological violence from his parents (with Psychological Child Abuse) generates a tolerance towards dysfunctional and violent psychological behaviors. This tolerance is a factor of vulnerability to become a victim of Psychological Intimate Partner Violence in adulthood. Emotional, cognitive, and behavioral parental patterns appear to be a factor inhibiting the awareness of the deleterious aspects of psychological violent intimate relationship. It complicates, slows down or even prevents the demand for a breakdown (the victim fearing for his life). As the victim has been accustomed to excessive and deleterious family control, she tolerates the violent dysfunctional psychological behavior in her intimate relationship longer, without immediate awareness. Moreover, the phases of aggression alternate with « honeymoon » phases. The victim finds himself lost in his partner’s ambivalence, and develops psychological symptoms (mood disorders, depression, PTSD, loss of markers, suicide attempt, etc.).
Conclusion : So, there is a transgenerational cycle of transmission of dysfunctional and violent behaviors that takes place in the family circle. Taking care and supporting the victims of Psychological Intimate Partner Violence can’t be efficient without investigating and taking into account their infantile experience first. As long as this infantile learning is not thought, conscientized and reworked, the person concerned could become a victims of Psychological Intimate Partner Violence again and again. The creation of a questionnaire for the retrospective identification of Psychological Child Abuse, once in adulthood and validated in French, might be an opening for the continuity of this research.
