Abstract:
This study examined the relationship between exposure to domestic violence and
identity development in a sample of 108 undergraduate students with an average age of 18.7
yr. from University of Limpopo in South Africa. There were more women (n=64; 58.7%) in
the study than men (n=45; 41.3%). Adolescents were classified into high and low domestic
violence exposure groups on the basis of a median split in physical violence scores from the
Child Exposure to Domestic Violence Scale (CEDV). Exposure was then compared with
identity development as measured by the Ochse and Plug Erikson scale. The results indicated
a significant mean difference between the two groups on identity development. Furthermore,
exposure to domestic violence was significantly associated with lower scores for identity
development as represented by subscales measuring trust, autonomy, initiative and other
Eriksonian constructs. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.
