Gender differences in partner violence in a birth cohort of 21-year-olds: Bridging the gap between clinical and epidemiological approaches.

This study describes partner violence in a representative sample of young adults. Physical violence perpetration was reported by 37.2% of women and 21.8% of men. Correlates of involvement in severe physical violence differed by gender. Severe physical violence was more strongly associated with unemployment, low educational attainment, few social support resources, polydrug use, antisocial personality disorder symptoms, depression symptoms, and violence toward strangers for men than for women. Women who were victims of severe physical violence were more likely than men who were victims to experience symptoms of anxiety. The findings converge with community studies showing that more women than men are physically violent toward a partner and with clinical studies highlighting violence perpetrated against women by men with deviant characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prevalences of intimate partner violence in a representative U.S. Air Force sample.

Objective: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious health concern, but little is known about prevalence of IPV in the armed forces, as military members cope with the pressures of long-standing operations. Furthermore, previous prevalence studies have been plagued by definitional issues; most studies have focused on acts of aggression without consideration of impact (clinically significant [CS] IPV). This is the first large-scale study to examine prevalences of IPV, CS-IPV, and clinically significant emotional abuse (CS-EA) for men and women. Method: A United States Air Force-wide anonymous survey was administered across 82 bases in 2006 (N = 42,744) to assess IPV, CS-IPV, and CS-EA. Results: The adjusted prevalence of CS-IPV perpetration was 4.66% for men and 3.54% for women. Prevalences of IPV perpetration were 12.90% for men and 15.14% for women. CS-EA victimization was 6.00% for men and 8.50% for women. Sociodemographic differences in risk for violence were found for gender, race/ethnicity, pay grade, religious faith, marital status, and career type even after controlling for other demographic variables. Conclusions: Partner maltreatment is widespread in military (and civilian) samples. Men were more likely to perpetrate CS-IPV, whereas women were more likely to perpetrate IPV. Specific demographic risk factors were identified for different types of partner maltreatment (e.g., lower rank predicted higher risk for both perpetration and victimization across men and women). Other sociodemographic differences varied across severity (IPV vs. CS-IPV) and across gender. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recognition of wives’ emotional expressions: A mechanism in the relationship between psychopathology and intimate partner violence perpetration.

Among a community sample of 88 couples, husbands’ emotion recognition skills were examined as a mechanism accounting for the relationships between two dimensions of psychopathology that commonly describe violent husbands (i.e., borderline/dysphoric and psychopathic personality characteristics) and their perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV). Husbands’ diminished sensitivity to their wives’ expressions of happiness partially mediated the relationship between their borderline/dysphoric characteristics and their IPV perpetration, supporting Dutton’s (1995) theory of IPV. These relationships were specific to expressions displayed by husbands’ wives (as opposed to unfamiliar men and women), demonstrating the significance of the intimate relationship. Partial support was found for Blair’s (1995) violence inhibition mechanism model, such that husbands’ IPV was associated with their diminished sensitivity to expressions of fear and their psychopathy was associated with misidentifying fearful expressions as neutral. However, the strength of husbands’ diminished sensitivity to fear as a mediator of the psychopathy–IPV relationship was suboptimal. Moreover, sensitivity to wives’ expressions of happiness also mediated the psychopathy–IPV relationship, potentially because of overlap in psychopathology constructs or inadequate examination of the temporal specificity of the two theories tested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Combat experience and youth: Influences on reported violence against women.

A study of 101 VA psychiatric and chemically dependent inpatients (mean age 44.8 yrs) was conducted to investigate the hypothesis that combat veterans (n?=?54) would report a higher frequency of physical violence against female partners than noncombat veterans (n?=?47). Veterans were interviewed by staff psychologists seeking information about the frequency and severity of violence toward their female partners and about whether or not they had been in combat. Results show no significant differences in reported violence toward female partners between the combat and noncombat veterans even when age was controlled. Younger men were, however, more violent toward women than older men. Data cast doubt on the view that combat experience leads to violence within marital relationships. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Subtypes of partner violence perpetrators among male and female psychiatric patients.

The goal of this naturalistic study was to examine heterogeneity among female and male civil psychiatric patients with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. Participants were 567 patients drawn from the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study (J. Monahan et al., 2001). The authors examined subtype composition among 138 women and 93 men with positive histories of IPV and compared these groups with 111 women and 225 men with no histories of IPV. Findings for men and women were consistent with reports from studies of male perpetrators in forensic and community settings in that generally violent/antisocial, borderline/dysphoric, and family only/low-psychopathology subtypes of perpetrators were identified in both men and women. This study provides preliminary evidence for the generalizability of typologies derived from nonpsychiatric partner violence perpetrators to psychiatric populations and suggests that typologies derived from studies of male IPV perpetrators may provide useful guidance for the investigation of female IPV perpetration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of drug use in a conceptual model of intimate partner violence in men and women arrested for domestic violence.

In a previous study, alcohol problems in perpetrators and their partners contributed directly and indirectly to intimate partner violence (IPV), even after including other correlates of violence in the model (G. L. Stuart et al., 2006). The present study extends these findings by examining the role of illicit drug use. We recruited 271 men and 135 women arrested for IPV and used structural equation modeling to examine the data. Results showed that drug use, as reported by the perpetrators, was a stronger predictor of IPV than were alcohol problems in perpetrators and their partners. Arrested males' marijuana use and stimulant use (i.e., cocaine and amphetamines) were associated with perpetration of IPV, and their report of their female partners' stimulant use was associated with her violence perpetration. In arrested women, specific substances used did not predict violence perpetration beyond other model variables; however, female perpetrators' report of male partners' stimulant use predicted male psychological and physical aggression, after controlling for other variables. These results provide further evidence that drug problems by both partners may be important in the evolution of aggression. Implications for batterer intervention programs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The intergenerational transmission of relationship violence.

This study explored the intergenerational transmission of violence in a community sample. A telephone survey of 1,249 adults in the City of Vancouver assessed family-of-origin violence (father to mother, mother to father, father to self, and mother to self), as well as physical and psychological abuse in intimate relationships. All forms of family-of-origin violence were predictive of all forms of relationship abuse, consistent with a general social learning model of relationship violence. There was no evidence of gender-specific or role-specific patterns of transmission. For example, father-to-mother violence was not specifically predictive of men's perpetration and women's victimization in adult relationships. Nor was parent-to-self violence more predictive of victimization than perpetration. The methodological and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexuality and the commission of physical violence to partners and non-partners by men and women.

In 2 studies of physical violence and sexuality among college students, more than 75% of men and more than 60% of women reported committing physical violence in the past year, including more women to partners and more men to non-partners. More than 90% of men who committed violence to partners were also violent to non-partners. In Study 1, among 193 men and 203 women, people who committed violence had higher scores on sexual depression and general depression than did people who were not violent. People violent to non-partners had more sexual preoccupation and more alcohol use problems than did other people. In Study 2, among 160 college men and 138 college women, people in 4 violence groups did not differ in total sexual fantasies or sexual functioning. The findings support the importance of differentiating between violence toward partners and toward non-partners among both men and women and suggest a role of depression in partner violence and antisocial features in violence toward non-partners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-regulatory failure and intimate partner violence perpetration.

Five studies tested the hypothesis that self-regulatory failure is an important predictor of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. Study 1 participants were far more likely to experience a violent impulse during conflictual interaction with their romantic partner than they were to enact a violent behavior, suggesting that self-regulatory processes help individuals refrain from perpetrating IPV when they experience a violent impulse. Study 2 participants high in dispositional self-control were less likely to perpetrate IPV, in both cross-sectional and residualized-lagged analyses, than were participants low in dispositional self-control. Study 3 participants verbalized more IPV-related cognitions if they responded immediately to partner provocations than if they responded after a 10-s delay. Study 4 participants whose self-regulatory resources were experimentally depleted were more violent in response to partner provocation (but not when unprovoked) than were nondepleted participants. Finally, Study 5 participants whose self-regulatory resources were experimentally bolstered via a 2-week training regimen exhibited less violent inclinations than did participants whose self-regulatory resources had not been bolstered. These findings hint at the power of incorporating self-regulation dynamics into predictive models of IPV perpetration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Risk Factors for Partner Violence Among a National Sample of Combat Veterans.

In this study, the authors identified potential risk factors for partner violence perpetration among a subsample (n=109) of men who participated in a national study of Vietnam veterans. Partner violent (PV) men with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were compared with PV men without PTSD and nonviolent men with PTSD on family-of-origin variables, psychiatric problems, relationship problems, and war-zone factors. PV men with PTSD were the highest of the 3 groups on every risk factor other than childhood abuse. Group contrasts and a classification tree analysis suggest some potential markers and mechanisms for the association between PTSD and partner violence among military veterans and highlight the need for theory development in this area of inquiry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correlates of expressed and received violence across relationship types among men and women substance abusers.

This study examined expressed and received violence among men and women in substance abuse treatment. Rates of past-year partner violence (PV) did not differ by gender, although men reported markedly higher rates of nonpartner violence (NPV). Compared with PV, NPV was associated with more demographic and background factors (e.g., childhood aggression and conduct problems, family history of violence). The most consistent correlates of violence across relationship types were age, minority status, drug-related consequences, psychiatric distress, and frequency of childhood aggression. Only a few gender-specific correlated were identified; most notably, witnessing father-to-mother violence was related to received PV only for women. Identification of correlates of expressed and received violence in partner and nonpartner relationships is essential for the assessment and treatment of individuals in substance abuse treatment settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prevalence and correlates of dating violence in a Canadian university sample.

Assessed the prevalence and correlates of dating violence among 116 female and 50 male undergraduates. Ss responded to the Conflict Tactics Scale, a self-esteem inventory, and questions regarding their course major, demographic characteristics, and current or most recent dating relationship. 52 women and 24 men reported having experienced physical violence in their current or most recent dating relationship. Ss who reported dating violence also reported greater relationship commitment, longer relationship durations, and higher levels of reasoning and verbal aggression strategies than did Ss who did not report dating violence. Women reported more frequent expressions of physically and verbally aggressive conflict resolution tactics than did men. Men were more likely than women to report being the targets of verbal and physical aggression by their partners. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in emotional risk for self- and other-directed violence among externalizing adults.

Objective: Women and men generally differ in how frequently they engage in other- and self-directed physical violence and may show distinct emotional risk factors for engagement in these high-impact behaviors. To inform this area, we investigated gender differences in the relationship of emotional tendencies (i.e., anger, hostility, and anhedonic depression) that may represent risk for other-directed violence (i.e., physical fighting, attacking others unprovoked) and self-directed violence (i.e., self-injury, suicide attempts). Method: The ethnically diverse sample consisted of 372 adults (252 men and 120 women age 18–55) with a history of criminal convictions. Facets of emotional risk assessed with the Aggression Questionnaire (Buss & Warren, 2000) and Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (Watson et al., 1995) were entered simultaneously as explanatory variables in regression analyses to investigate their unique contributions to other- and self-directed physical violence in men and women. Results: Analyses revealed that anhedonic depressive tendencies negatively predicted other-directed violence and positively predicted self-directed violence in men and women, consistent with a model of depression in which aggression is turned inward (Henriksson et al., 1993). Gender differences, however, emerged for the differential contributions of anger and hostility to other- and self-directed violence. Trait anger (i.e., difficulty controlling one's temper) was associated with other-directed violence selectively in men, whereas trait hostility (i.e., suspiciousness and alienation) was associated with self- and other-directed violence among women. Conclusions: The divergent findings for trait anger and hostility underscore the need to examine gender-specific risk factors for physical violence to avoid excluding potentially useful clinical features of these mental health outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Responses to partner violence: Moving away from deficit models.

Deficit-based models of responses to partner violence, which emphasize cognitive distortions and behavioral deficiencies, dominate research on women in violent relationships, but they are limited by their narrow focus. This study examined cognitive reactions and both active and passive responses of 136 women who sustained verbal aggression, minor violence, or moderate to severe violence in their current relationship. Cognitive reactions became more disapproving, and behavioral responses became more active and less passive, as the level of violence increased for the worst incident in their relationship. Disapproving reactions mediated active, but not passive, responses to violence. These results are consistent with a competency model of responses to violence that emphasizes the importance of studying both adaptive and maladaptive responses. Multivariate models and a closer study of context would benefit future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attitudes of U.S. and Czech/Slovak mental health and health professionals toward five types of sexually explicit materials

Mental health and health professionals' attitudes toward sexually explicit materials in the U.S. and Czech/Slovak Republics were investigated. An instrument measuring attitudes toward educational, soft-core, hard-core, violence, and bizarre/paraphiliac sexually explicit materials was administered to sexologists, psychologist/counselors, and medical professionals. These professionals were attending conferences in the U.S. and the Czech/Slovak Republics between November 1992 and September 1993. Mental health and health professionals had the most favorable attitudes toward educational sexually explicit materials followed by soft-core and hard-core materials, respectively. They had unfavorable attitudes toward violent and bizarre/paraphiliac sexually explicit materials, with particularly negative attitudes toward violent materials. Analysis of covariance showed that strength of religious conviction was a significant covariate; thus professionals with stronger religious conviction had more negative attitudes toward all five types of sexually explicit materials. When controlling for strength of religious conviction: (i) sexologists had more positive attitudes toward most types of sexually explicit materials; (ii) Czech professionals generally had more positive attitudes toward such materials than their U.S. counterparts; and (iii) there were few differences between female and male professionals in their reported attitudes. While previous literature has reported gender differences in attitudes toward sexually explicit materials, findings from this study suggest that this effect may be due to differences in religiosity among women and men, namely, that women tend to be more religious.     

The role of gender in very old age: profiles of functioning and everyday life patterns

Older men and women have different life contexts as a function of differential longevity and socio-structural opportunities over the life course. The question is whether gender-related differences also occur in psychological and everyday functioning in older adults. Examined were 258 men and 258 women between the ages of 70 and 103 years (M = 85 years), participants in the Berlin Aging Study. Significant gender differences were observed in 13 of 28 aspects of personality, social relationships, everyday activity patterns, and reported well-being. Cluster analysis identified 11 subgroups whose profiles of life conditions and health and psychological functioning could be categorized as more or less desirable (functional). The relative risk of a less desirable profile was 1.6 times higher for women than for men. For older adults, gender as a variable carries differences in physical frailty and life conditions that likely have consequences for psychological functioning.     

Associations of substance use problems with intimate partner violence for at-risk men in long-term relationships.

Associations of substance use problems in men--defined as a man's meeting at least 1 criterion of dependence on each of a number of substances by his mid-20s--with their perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) were examined in an at-risk community sample of 150 men in long-term relationships from their late adolescence to their late 20s. Men who had a problem with substances other than sedatives (especially cannabis and hallucinogens) committed more IPV than did men without such problems. Most of the men who had a problem with marijuana also had an alcohol problem, which explains why alcohol was found to have only an indirect association with IPV. The failure of previous alcohol-use studies to control for co-occurrence of alcohol and marijuana problems may explain the discrepancy with conclusions from past research that alcohol problems contribute directly to the perpetration of IPV. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Illicit Substance Use and Intimate Partner Violence Among Men in Batterers' Intervention.

This study investigated the effects of illicit substance use and alcohol on the occurrence of violence among men in batterers' intervention and their female partners. Results showed that over half of the batterers reported using illicit substances in the past year, and over one third of partners were reported to have used 1 or more illicit substances in the past year. Relative to the non-substance users, substance users scored significantly higher on all measures of perpetration and receipt of intimate partner violence after controlling for alcohol use. Results also showed that illicit substance use uniquely predicted specific forms of violence perpetration and victimization. The results highlight the need for interventions tailored to address substance use and violence concurrently. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Emotional communication in close relationships.

Investigated emotional communication patterns characterizing interactions between partners in close relationships by asking 29 couples who were married or living together to engage in a videotaped discussion of a problem they were having in their relationship. In a later session, partners identified specific communications that they believed had an important influence on the discussion and then rated the communications in terms of the feelings the communicator intended to convey and the recipient's reaction. All Ss attempted to reciprocate both the positive and negative feelings that they perceived their partner to express toward them; however, only negative feelings were actually reciprocated. This was because Ss were sensitive to differences in the negative feelings their partners reported expressing and interpreted those feelings correctly, but they were inaccurate in perceiving their partners' expressions of positive feelings. Men interpreted their partners' failures to express love as an indication of hostility, whereas women interpreted their partners' lack of hostility as an indication of love. Results were conceptualized in terms of a general model of emotional communication. Parameters of the model pertaining to the hostility of partners' communications were often related to women's satisfaction with their relationship and their beliefs about relationships in general. However, they were unrelated to men's satisfaction and general beliefs, suggesting that women are generally more adversely affected by overt expressions of hostility than are men. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The prevalence of allergic rhinitis and nasal symptoms in Nottingham

An overview of the most important older and newer results regarding the relationship between violent and criminal behavior on the one hand and schizophrenic illness on the other hand is presented. Four different methods are available to study this relationship: (i) study of the prevalence of mental illness in criminal/violent populations; (ii) study of criminality/violence rate in samples of psychiatric patients; (iii) study of criminality/violence in community samples comparing mental patients with non-patient community residents; and (iv) study of criminality/violence in birth cohorts prospectively. All these methods have been used; but samples composed of schizophrenic patients exclusively were only exceptionally studied. The results indicate that there is a modest but significant relationship between schizophrenia and violence and crime which persists even after controlling for demographic and socio-economic variables. The probability of schizophrenic patients to be criminal or violent depends on the acuity of their illness and is increased by their use of psychoactive substances. Generally, however, violent and criminal acts directly attributable to mental illness account only for a very small proportion of such acts in the society.