Early environmental risk factors have a role in the development of violent behaviour in adulthood.

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of childhood trauma, expressed violent behaviour as a child, co morbid personality disorder and substance abuse on self reported interpersonal violence as an adult in suicide attempters.

A total of 161 suicide attempters were diagnosed with SCID I and II and assessed with the Karolinska Interpersonal Violence Scale (KIVS) measuring exposure to violence and expressed violent behaviour in childhood (between 6-14 years of age) and during adult life (15 years or older). A standard linear regression analyses was conducted with the two predictive KIVS subscales exposure to violence as a child and expressed violent behaviour as a child, Axis 1 mood and anxiety disorder diagnosis, co morbid substance abuse diagnosis, co morbid personality disorder diagnosis, age and gender as predictors of expressed interpersonal violence as an adult.

The regression model was significant with adjusted R square 0.22, F ratio 7.2, DF=7, p< 0.0001. Expressed violent behaviour as a child and personality disorder were significant predictors of expressed interpersonal violence as an adult. Broken down by gender expressed violent behaviour as a child was a significant predictor of violence as an adult in both men and women, whereas exposure to violence as a child and personality disorder predicted violence as an adult only in men.

It is important to take into account expressed violent behaviour in childhood in violence risk assessments.