Preventing the Cycle of Violence: Protective Factors Among Ugandan Male Youth With Histories of Childhood Violence

There is an established association between violence victimization in childhood and perpetration later in life, particularly among boys and men. Interrupting the cyclic nature of violence remains a prevention priority. We sought to identify the characteristics of males who had experienced violence in childhood but did not go on to perpetrate violence in young adulthood. The 2015 Uganda Violence Against Children and Youth Survey was a national household survey of 13- to 24-year-olds. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to assess protective factors for violence perpetration among males aged 19- to 24-years-old who experienced childhood violence victimization. Patterns that emerged as protective against violence perpetration among those males who experienced childhood violence include significantly higher odds of: completing secondary school; having a close relationship to their father; not having harmful gender attitudes; and not having witnessed interpersonal or community violence. In addition, in some of the models males who did not perpetrate had significantly lower odds of: trusting their community; talking to friends about important things; and currently being married. Protective factors varied by type of childhood violence victimization and type of perpetration, but most patterns held across outcomes of interest. Understanding modifiable factors that may mitigate risk of perpetration can help inform efforts to prevent violence perpetration and break the cyclic nature of violence.