Marital violence, marital distress, and attributions.

Because empirical associations involving marital distress may be confounded by the presence of marital violence, 2 studies examined the interplay among marital distress, marital violence, and attributions for marital events. Study 1 showed that marital satisfaction was associated with causal and responsibility attributions independently of violence in a sample of 130 husbands. Study 2 demonstrated that the satisfaction–attribution association was independent of violence in a sample of 60 newlywed husbands and also showed that responsibility attributions predicted satisfaction 12 months later when violent husbands were excluded from the sample. These findings support the focus on cognitive variables in recent models of marriage and marital violence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Workplace violence: Prevention, response, and recovery.

Describes a model of collaboration between business leaders and mental health clinicians in developing programs and strategies to prevent violence, handle acute crises, and cope with recovery and rebuilding in the aftermath of a workplace violence incident. Sections address the following: (1) demographics, costs, and risk factors and warning signs of workplace violence; (2) workplace violence prevention policies, including hiring, discipline, and termination practices; (3) responses to emergencies, such as potentially dangerous situations, violent episodes, and guns or weapons in the workplace; and (4) strategies for recovery following workplace violence that involve mental health and law enforcement mobilization, dealing with the media, assisting employees and families, legal issues, identification and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and follow-up procedures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Marital Violence, Co-Parenting, and Family-Level Processes in Relation to Children's Adjustment.

Amultimethod approach was used to examine relations between marital violence, coparenting, and family-level processes and children's adjustment in a community-based sample of marital violence. Two hypotheses were tested, one in which family-level and co-parenting processes mediate relations between marital violence and child functioning and one in which marital violence and family-level/co-parenting processes function relatively independently in influencing children's adjustment. Observations of family processes were made within a triadic parent-child interaction, and several dimensions of children's socioemotional adjustment (i.e., peer relations, behavior problems) were examined. Results indicated that hostile-withdrawn co-parenting mediated the relations between marital violence and children's anxiety and depression. Marital violence, co-parenting, and family-level processes also functioned independently in predicting child outcome. Findings are discussed in terms of the family dynamics present in maritally violent homes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychodynamics of partner, stranger, and generally violent male college students.

Understanding the dynamics of partner violence has been complicated by the fact that "partner violence" may include both partner and generally violent men. The authors hypothesized that partner violence may involve intimacy-related threats to masculinity, violence toward strangers may relate to alcohol abuse, and both partner and stranger violence may relate to object relations pathology. College men were nonviolent or violent toward partners, strangers, or partners and strangers (n?=?10 men in each group). Partner violence was related to higher Schwartz Castration Anxiety Scale scores (B. Schwartz, 1991), from Thematic Apperception Test responses. Stranger violence was related to higher Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) and MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale-Revised scores. Neither partner nor stranger violence was related to MMPI-2 anxiety or Westen's Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale (D. Westen, A. Barends, J. Leigh, M. Mendel, & D. Silbert, 1990). The authors discussed implications for understanding the dynamics of partner violence and treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intergenerational transmission of violence, self-control, and conjugal violence: a comparative analysis of physical violence and psychological aggression

This paper is a sequel to Avakame (1998), a study which sought to determine whether (a) violence in families of origin affects males' psychological aggression toward wives, and (b) whether the intergenerational transmission effect is solely direct or mediated by Gottfredson and Hirschi's concept of self-control. The current research extends these questions to females' psychological aggression as well as males' and females' physical violence. The models were estimated using data from the 1975 National Family Violence Survey. Like its precursor, results of the present research suggest that it is useful to (a) distinguish between mothers' and fathers' violence and (b) recognize that the intergenerational transmission of violence may be mediated by self-control. Specifically, results suggested that, whether considering physical violence or psychological aggression, fathers' violence is most likely to exert the direct social learning effect.     

Community violence exposure, adverse childhood experiences, and posttraumatic distress among urban development workers.

The current study examines community violence exposure among 284 urban community development workers located in five U.S. cities. Adulthood exposure to community violence, history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and current symptoms of posttraumatic distress (PTSD) were assessed to test the hypothesis that a personal history of ACEs moderates the relationship between community violence exposure and PTSD symptom severity. Seventy-five percent of urban development workers reported direct community violence victimization, 71% reported a history of at least one ACE, and 14% of the sample met probable diagnostic criteria for PTSD. A multiple regression analysis confirmed that ACEs and indirect adulthood community violence exposure were significantly positively related to the severity of PTSD symptoms. These variables accounted for a small amount of variance in PTSD. Direct exposure to community violence and the interaction between ACEs and community violence did not contribute significant variance to the model. The implications and limitations are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Thrombosis in trauma and orthopedic surgery. Prevention, diagnosis, therapy

The connection between drugs and violence has been well documented. Understanding the intricacies of this connection is essential to finding effective interventions. Much has been written about the psychosocial causes of these problems, but there have been few studies exploring the biophysiological interface between drug effects, violent behavior and brain metabolism. Over the past eight years, The Amen Clinic has been extensively involved in the clinical use of brain SPECT imaging to evaluate complicated neuropsychiatric problems, especially related to the issues of both violence and substance abuse. From this work several clinical patterns, as well as brain SPECT imaging patterns, have been recognized that may help further our understanding of these problems. In this article, following a brief review of the literature on drugs, violence and the brain, five clinical examples are explored; the authors show how these support the clinical utility of incorporating SPECT imaging into psychiatric assessment of drug abuse and violence. Finally, a model is proposed to help explain the complex interaction between the brain, violence and drug abuse.     

Psychopathy, IQ, and Violence in European American and African American County Jail Inmates.

The accuracy of the prediction of criminal violence may be improved by combining psychopathy with other variables that have been found to predict violence. Research has suggested that assessing intelligence (i.e., IQ) as well as psychopathy improves the accuracy of violence prediction. In the present study, the authors tested this hypothesis by using a contemporary measure of psychopathy, the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (R. D. Hare, 2003), in a sample of 326 European American and 348 African American male offenders. The postdictive power of psychopathy was evident for both ethnic groups and robust across most changes in the operationalization of violence and the analysis conducted, whereas the postdictive power of IQ was not. No Psychopathy x IQ interactions were identified. Implications of these results for violence prediction are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Warzone violence in Vietnam: an examination of premilitary, military, and postmilitary factors in PTSD in-patients

The impact of childhood victimization and other premilitary factors on warzone abusive violence was examined with 177 Vietnam combat veteran inpatients. Premilitary and military variables were also examined in relationship to postmilitary variables, including violence and PTSD. Statistical analyses showed that none of the premilitary variables predicted warzone violence. High combat exposure did, however, predict warzone abusive violence and PTSD. In addition, participation in warzone violence predicted postmilitary violence to self, spouse, and others. Although high rates of childhood victimization and high levels of combat exposure were found, neither predicted postmilitary violence, criminal activities, drug/alcohol problems, or suicide attempts. Low childhood adjustment ratings and school suspensions predicted adult alcohol abuse and drug abuse, respectively. These findings and their implication for treatment are discussed.     

Community Violence, Family Conflict, and Preschoolers' Socioemotional Functioning.

This study examined the relations among family conflict, community violence, and young children's socioemotional functioning and explored how children's social cognition and mothers' psychological functioning may mediate the outcomes associated with this exposure. Mothers of 431 Head Start preschoolers completed questionnaires about their family demography, exposure to community violence, family conflict, and children's distress symptoms. Children were administered a social cognition assessment, and teachers rated their behavior. Results showed that mothers' reports of children's co-witnessing of community violence were positively associated with police department crime rates, children's distress symptoms, and teachers' ratings of aggression. A path analysis revealed that children's social awareness and mothers' depressive symptoms partially mediated the effects of community violence and family conflict on outcomes for children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Violence prediction, workplace violence, and the mental health expert.

Suggests that potential expert witnesses in civil cases arising from employee-caused work site violence should be familiar with recent findings concerning the assessment of risk for violence and with the implications of those findings. Pertinent demographic issues and the legal considerations (i.e., legislation, case law, and theories of liability) that might shape tort actions for workplace violence are reviewed. Knowledge concerning mental health professionals' ability to assess violence potential, and the practical limitations of that knowledge are summarized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Knives, guns, and interparent violence: Relations with child behavior problems.

Behavior problems were examined across 3 groups of children (8–12 years of age), living in families characterized by recent physical spousal violence. The groups were (a) 47 children who reported observing marital violence that included the threat or use of knives or guns (observed); (b) 57 children who did not report witnessing marital violence involving knives or guns but whose mothers reported that violence involving knives or guns had occurred in a recent marital dispute (occurred); and (c) 51 children who did not report witnessing marital violence involving knives or guns and whose mothers also reported no violence involving knives or guns (neither). Children in the observed group displayed higher levels of behavior problems than did children in the neither group, but they did not differ from children in the occurred group. Children in the occurred group also displayed higher levels of behavior problems than did children in the neither group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Protecting women and children from physical, sexual, and psychological abuse

Domestic violence is a serious public health problem. The "epidemic" is becoming too obvious to hide, too widespread to deny, and too much of a health hazard to ignore. The victims are children, women, the elderly, and the society as a whole. Family members, government, educational and penal agencies, civic and medical societies, physicians, and citizens at large are all involved in domestic violence prevention. By having a high index of suspicion, physicians are in an ideal position to prevent, assess, identify, and treat victims of domestic violence and its associated problems.     

The co-occurrence of childhood sexual abuse, adult sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and sexual harassment: A mediational model of posttraumatic stress disorder and physical health outcomes.

This study examined the co-occurrence of childhood sexual abuse, adult sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and sexual harassment in a predominantly African American sample of 268 female veterans, randomly sampled from an urban Veterans Affairs hospital women's clinic. A combination of hierarchical and iterative cluster analysis was used to identify 4 patterns of women's lifetime experiences of violence co-occurrence. The 1st cluster experienced relatively low levels of all 4 forms of violence; the 2nd group, high levels of all 4 forms; the 3rd, sexual revictimization across the lifespan with adult sexual harassment; and the 4th, high intimate partner violence with sexual harassment. This cluster solution was validated in a theoretically driven model that examined the role of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a mediator of physical health symptomatology. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that PTSD fully mediated the relationship between violence and physical health symptomatology. Consistent with a bio-psycho-immunologic theoretical model, PTSD levels more strongly predicted pain-related physical health symptoms compared to nonpain health problems. Implications for clinical interventions to prevent PTSD and to screen women for histories of violence in health care settings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Drugs, violence, and federal funding: a research odyssey

Two decades of research activity focusing on drugs/violence relationships are described. Initial interest in this area was kindled by field experiences. Literature review revealed a dearth of concepts and data. A tripartite conceptual framework was formulated to define drug-related violence. A series of empirical studies were undertaken to verify and elaborate the conceptual framework. Findings from these studies debunked prevailing mythology about drugs/violence relationships. Findings also demonstrated the usefulness of a public health perspective and the critical importance of collecting qualitative data in order to achieve a deeper understanding of these phenomena.     

Culture, social organization, and patterns of violence

Traditional social theorizing holds that strong and cohesive family, community, and religious institutions rein in violence. However, in cultures where certain types of violence are condoned, this should not be true. Specifically, in the U.S. South and West, where culture-of-honor traditions persist, greater social organization should be associated with more violence. This pattern was confirmed in examinations of argument-related homicide rates (Study 1); mass consumption patterns for violence in entertainment, recreation, and vocational pursuits (Study 2); and voting patterns of political elites on gun control and national defense issues (Study 3). Across the 3 studies, social organization was associated with effects in the South and West opposite of what they were in the North. Implications for general theories of cultural evolution, suggesting a cycle in the way societies crystallize and change, are discussed.     

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2, posttraumatic stress disorder, and women domestic violence survivors.

When a professional psychologist examines a woman domestic violence survivor's MMPI-2 (J. N. Butcher, W. G. Dahlstrom, J. R. Graham, A. M. Tellegen, & B. Kaemmer, 1989) profile, what unique signs will there be that she suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Existing empirical evidence and diagnostic decision rules for determining the presence of PTSD with the MMPI-2 cannot be applied to domestic violence survivors. The MMPI-2 was administered to 93 women domestic violence survivors. Results suggest that the MMPI-2 is sensitive to PTSD symptoms. Women domestic violence survivors with PTSD generate unique average MMPI-2 profiles. The Defensiveness (K) validity and 1 (Hypochondriasis [Hs]) scales may assist in discriminating between survivors with and without PTSD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interaction between birth complications and early maternal rejection in predisposing individuals to adult violence: specificity to serious, early-onset violence

OBJECTIVE: The authors previously reported that birth complications interact with early maternal rejection in predisposing individuals to violence at age 18 years. This study extended the follow-up period for violent offending from 18 years to 34 years, thus increasing the sample of violent offenders threefold and allowing more detailed analyses on onset and type of violence, the form of maternal rejection, and the effect of maternal mental illness. METHOD: Complications in the births of 4,269 males in Denmark, maternal rejection of these individuals before the age of 1 year, and their histories of criminal offenses at age 34 years were assessed. RESULTS: The biosocial interaction previously observed held for violent but not nonviolent crime, was specific to more serious forms of violence and not threats of violence, held for early-onset but not late-onset violence, and was not accounted for by psychiatric illness in the mothers. Being reared in a public care institution in the first year of life and the mother's attempt to abort the fetus were the key aspects of maternal rejection that interacted with birth complications in predisposing a subject to violence. CONCLUSIONS: These findings 1) indicate that the mechanisms underlying early-onset, serious violence differ from those for less serious, late-onset violence, 2) implicate very early factors in the development of violence, 3) highlight the potential importance of integrating psychosocial with biological factors in understanding and preventing violence, and 4) suggest that interventions to reduce birth complications and maternal rejection may help reduce violence.