Link Between Women's Justification of Intimate Partner Violence and Child Discipline Practices: Evidence From 45 Developing Countries

ABSTRACT Justifying intimate partner violence (IPV) is itself a well‐documented risk factor for both experiencing and perpetrating IPV, yet its downstream effects on child‐rearing remain poorly quantified. We link mothers' IPV‐justifying attitudes to disciplinary behaviour using nationally representative Wave 6 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey data (2017–2022) from 45 low‐ and middle‐income countries (≈ 200,000 mother–child dyads) harmonized by IPUMS‐MICS. Survey‐weighted ordinary least‐squares models show that IPV justification is associated with a β = 0.075 ( p < 0.001) higher value on the composite discipline index. Disaggregated analyses reveal parallel upticks in non‐violent ( β = 0.075, p < 0.001) and violent ( β = 0.044, p < 0.001) methods; multilevel models that account for country clustering confirm these patterns and indicate an even stronger link with violent practices ( β = 0.086, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that normalizing IPV extends beyond couple dynamics to shape everyday parenting, subtly amplifying both non‐violent and violent discipline. Interventions that challenge IPV‐supportive norms should therefore be integrated with positive‐parenting programmes to break intergenerational cycles of violence.