There is an ambiguity in defining the precursors to violent behavior and more specifically how it plays a role in young people's lives. There is a wealth of research available on how victims are affected by violence and what leads people to end up in abusive relationships. However, more recently research has begun to focus on the perpetrator, what drives these individuals to behave this way, and where this behavior originates. Violence in young adults' intimate relationships is widespread and has become increasingly concerning (Linder & Collins, 2005). Many theories suggest that perpetration of violence in early adulthood may be linked to exposure to violence during early adulthood (Palazzolo et al., 2010). The family unit generally plays a significant role in communicating important values, thoughts, and behaviors, and exposure to patterns of violence early in life can also transmit aggressive or violent thoughts and behaviors (Palazzolo et al., 2010). This article will examine and discuss how exposure to domestic violence during childhood relates to perpetration of violence in intimate relationships during early adulthood, focusing on males aged 18–24. This paper will also discuss the costs of violence in young adults and offer possible public health interventions to remedy the current condition of widespread intimate partner violence. It should be noted that most of these findings come from studies based on young adults in the United States, but the articles under review attempt to generalize the data to a larger population that would include young adults in Canada. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as “Physical, … middle of paper … that intervention must ideally begin at the time of such exposures to prevent young people from ending up as victims or perpetrators in intimate relationships as young adults. There is sufficient research to strengthen the case that there is a definite link between exposure to violence in childhood and the perpetration of violence as young adults, particularly in males. Whether it is physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal aggression or parental conflict, there is a long-term impact that directly or indirectly leads to the perpetration of violence into young adulthood and beyond this point. It is important to recognize this not as a problem but as an epidemic in which lives are lost. It is important to also understand the perpetrator as a victim and end the cycle of violence and its contributions to IPV in young adults..