Precocious exits from adolescence via early union formation are often argued to represent a strong risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization. However, causal evidence for this claim is scant. This study examines the impact of teen union formation (before age 18) on experiences of IPV in Brazil and Colombia, where early family transitions are common and levels of interpersonal violence are high. Using data that allow instrumenting for teen union formation with age at menarche, results show that both Brazilian and Colombian women who start a co‐residential union before age 18 have a higher probability of experiencing psychological violence from partners. Early cohabitation is also linked to greater risk of past‐year sexual abuse among Black/Brown Brazilian women, and lifetime sexual IPV in Colombia, including among women who partnered once. Among testable potential pathways, age‐heterogamy (male partner being older) explains part of the results, but lower educational attainment among early cohabiting women emerges as a key driver in both countries. Education remains a powerful policy tool to confront both forms of gender‐based violence in South America.

中文翻译：

---

南美洲的青少年工会和亲密伴侣暴力


通过早期结合形成早熟地退出青春期通常被认为代表了亲密伴侣暴力 （IPV） 受害的强大风险因素。然而，这种说法的因果证据很少。本研究考察了青少年工会成立（18 岁之前）对巴西和哥伦比亚 IPV 经历的影响，这两个国家的早期家庭过渡很常见，人际暴力水平很高。使用允许根据月经初潮年龄对青少年工会形成的工具进行工具的数据，结果表明，在 18 岁之前开始同住结合的巴西和哥伦比亚女性遭受伴侣心理暴力的可能性更高。早期同居还与巴西黑人/棕色人种女性过去一年性虐待的风险增加有关，在哥伦比亚，包括曾经伴侣的女性，终生性 IPV。在可测试的潜在途径中，年龄异性恋（男性伴侣年龄较大）解释了部分结果，但早期同居女性较低的教育程度成为这两个国家的关键驱动因素。在南美洲，教育仍然是对抗这两种形式的性别暴力的有力政策工具。