Violence in the Family of Origin, Reflective Functioning, and the Perpetration of Isolating Behaviors in Intimate Relationships: A Mediation Model

TL;DR

This study explores how childhood exposure to family violence relates to isolating behaviors in adult relationships, with mentalization acting as a key factor.

Contribution

The study introduces a mediation model showing how reflective functioning explains the link between family violence and isolating behaviors.

Findings

Violence in the family of origin directly correlates with isolating behaviors in adult relationships.

Reflective functioning, specifically certainty and uncertainty of mentalization, mediates the relationship between family violence and isolating behaviors.

The findings support the role of mentalization in the intergenerational transmission of violence.

Abstract

Background: The intergenerational transmission of violence from the family of origin to couple relationships in adulthood is well-known in the scientific literature. However, the perpetration of isolating behaviors (IBs) is still poorly explored, and additional studies are required to comprehend the mechanisms that intervene in the association between Violence in the family of origin (VFO) and isolating behaviors. Drawing from Fonagy’s mentalization model, which describes reflective functioning as the capacity to conceive mental states as explanations for one’s own and other people’s behavior, the present study aims to examine the mediating role of reflective functioning in the link between VFO and the perpetration of isolating behaviors. Methods: Online self-report questionnaires were completed by 663 Italian participants (66.8% women; Mage = 28.4, SD = 8.5) who were in a couple relationship in the last 12 months. A mediation model was tested to assess the direct and indirect effects of VFO on the perpetration of isolating behaviors through certainty and uncertainty of mentalization. Results: A direct association was found between VFO and the perpetration of isolating behaviors. Furthermore, we found an indirect effect of VFO on the perpetration of the perpetration of isolating behaviors, mediated by the certainty and uncertainty of mentalization. Conclusions: The results demonstrated the mediating role of reflective functioning in the intergenerational transmission of violence and support its implication in the perpetration of isolating behaviors in couple relationships. Although these results are preliminary, they can provide useful data at the theoretical and clinical levels.

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