Intimate Partner Violence and Parents' Dysfunctional Discipline Styles
This research examined the factors of intimate partner violence as a predictor of dysfunctional parental discipline among working women in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria and also tested the moderating effect of emotional regulation. The cross-sectional correlational survey design was chosen, and the data were collected among the 235 working women chosen using multistage sampling in four Local Community Development Areas. The IPV, emotional regulation and dysfunctional styles of discipline were assessed using standardized measures. The descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, multiple regression, moderation analysis (PROCESS Model 1), one-way ANOVA, and independent t-tests were used to analyze the data. Intimate partner violence (IPV) did not substantially predict overall dysfunctional discipline approaches, according to regression models (F(3,231) = 2.48, p >.05, R² =.03). However, IPV was a significant predictor of three dimensions: hostility (F(3,231) = 3.59, p <.01, R² =.05), laxness (F(3,231) = 5.71, p <.01, R² =.07), and overreactivity (F(3,231) = 6.12, p <.01, R² =.07). Dysfunctional discipline was strongly predicted by emotional regulation (F(2,232) = 4.53, p <.05, R2 =.04), especially in terms of lowering animosity and laxness. A significant IPV × emotional regulation interaction (β = −.21, t = −2.80, p =.01) was found via moderation analysis, suggesting that emotional control mitigated the detrimental effects of IPV on parenting. There were no significant effects of demographic characteristics (p >.05). The intervention to achieve better parenting outcomes should focus on emotional control and trauma-informed care of women who are exposed to IPV in the urban Nigerian community.