Social Support: Breaking the Cycle of IPV Among Mothers and Daughters in Cameroon

In Cameroon, a preliminary study explored how social support might break the cycle of intimate partner violence (IPV) between mothers and daughters. Sixty-one mother-daughter pairs were surveyed separately. The study aimed to understand if daughters' social support can reduce the impact of mothers' IPV experiences on their own. The results were encouraging. When daughters reported higher levels of social support, the link between their moms' IPV experiences and their own became weaker. At high support levels, this connection vanished. This means strong support from friends and family can make a real difference in shielding daughters from mimicking their mothers' experiences. So, what does this tell us? Boosting these informal support networks could be a key part of fighting IPV. It shows that even in tough situations, having a supportive community can make all the difference.