Towards an integrated theory of relational violence: Is bullying a risk factor for domestic violence?

Etiological exploration using the constructs "domestic violence" and "intimate partner violence" as phenomena of adult enactment, remains relatively isolated from inquiry into bullying. The prevailing policy view of domestic violence is that it is a product of socially sanctioned domination of women by men. Bullying is framed often from the standpoint of aggression and psychological deficits found in the bully. Risk factors and developmental antecedents of domestic violence may overlap with similar risk factors in bullying. From the standpoint of individual developmental chronology, bullying precedes domestic violence, but it is not known whether bullying itself is a risk factor for domestic violence in adulthood or if bullying and domestic violence simply have risk factors in common. In this paper, varying theoretical analyses are examined in light of available empirical data on risk, etiology, and patterns of enactment. Although a broader range of explanatory theory in both domestic violence and bullying is considered, psychological and developmental processes are emphasized. This integrated review of the literature supports a better theoretical understanding of the links between bullying and domestic violence and also contributes to an expanded theoretical view of violence overall. Conclusions include detailed recommendations for further empirical study.