Narratives about Breaking the Cycle of Intergenerational Violence in Families: Different Routes, Same Goal

Abstract Intergenerational violence in families is well documented, yet research often relies on quantitative methods, overlooking the complexity of lived experiences. Qualitative studies on parents exposed to both intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment remain scarce. This study examines narratives of Finnish parents to explore how parents with childhood experiences of both maltreatment and exposure to IPV narrate and make meaning of intergenerational continuity or change in violence. Data consist of 15 written narratives analyzed through narrative methods, including composite narratives and fictionalized characters to synthesize accounts and highlight thematic patterns. Our findings disrupt the notion of a simple, linear cycle of harm. Instead, intergenerational transmission emerges as a dynamic and probabilistic process. Breaking one cycle, such as IPV, does not automatically end another, like child maltreatment. What seems to matter is how individuals make sense of and integrate relational traumas into their life story. When these experiences are acknowledged and processed, parents can move toward earned secure attachment, transforming both parenting and partner relationships. Together these insights highlight the need for prevention strategies that go beyond exposure, focusing on early attachment support and interventions that combine personal agency and re-authoring childhood experiences with external resources such as safe relationships and professional guidance.