A dyadic longitudinal model of adolescent dating aggression

The stability of and dyadic influences on physical aggression in adolescents' dating relationships have implications for understanding the etiology of intimate partner violence and, in turn, prevention efforts. We studied the stability of aggression and tested a longitudinal dyadic model of psychological and physical aggression in samples of adolescent males and females who remained in relationships for 3 months. Physical aggression against dating partners was remarkably stable. Verbal aggression, jealous behavior, and controlling behavior formed a latent construct psychological aggression. Psychological aggression predicted physical aggression both concurrently and longitudinally. Dyadic relations were evident for both psychological and physical aggression, and these dyadic relations highlight the need for prevention and intervention incorporating dyadic issues with young dating couples.

Antecedents and consequences of negative marital stressors

Many couples seeking therapy report the occurrence of severe, negative marital stressors (e.g., infidelity, threats of marital dissolution). In addition, existing research has demonstrated that these marital stressors precipitate Major Depressive Episodes and psychological symptoms. This longitudinal study examines the antecedents and consequences of negative marital stressors to help clinicians and researchers develop interventions that might prevent these stressors and their outcomes. Forty-one women completed a semistructured interview and measures of marital discord and depressive symptoms within one month after experiencing a marital stressor (baseline) and at a 16-month follow up. The results indicate that baseline marital discorded contributes to the occurrence of additional marital stressors during the follow-up period. Although baseline depressive symptoms do not predict additional marital stressors, depressive symptoms along with marital discord predict future depressive symptoms. Finally, baseline marital discord and additional marital stressors contribute to future marital dissolution. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

Two new measures of attitudes about the acceptability of teen dating aggression

Aggression in dating relationships is associated with attitudes that justify its use. Attitudes about dating aggression are targeted by prevention efforts, contributing to a need to measure these attitudes sensitively, accurately, and multidimensionally. We describe two new measures of attitudes about aggression, each tapping different attitudinal components, and compare their psychometric properties with an existing scale. The 1st assesses attitudes about physical aggression in provocative situations. The 2nd taps attitudes about verbally aggressive, controlling, and jealous tactics against a dating partner. Data from 2,313 high school students were factor analyzed and cross-validated for each new scale. Compared with an existing measure, the scales had comparable levels of reliability and validity and improved response distributions. A 2nd-order factor analysis lends support to a multidimensional view of attitudes about dating aggression.

Two new measures of attitudes about the acceptability of teen dating aggression

Aggression in dating relationships is associated with attitudes that justify its use. Attitudes about dating aggression are targeted by prevention efforts, contributing to a need to measure these attitudes sensitively, accurately, and multidimensionally. We describe two new measures of attitudes about aggression, each tapping different attitudinal components, and compare their psychometric properties with an existing scale. The 1st assesses attitudes about physical aggression in provocative situations. The 2nd taps attitudes about verbally aggressive, controlling, and jealous tactics against a dating partner. Data from 2,313 high school students were factor analyzed and cross-validated for each new scale. Compared with an existing measure, the scales had comparable levels of reliability and validity and improved response distributions. A 2nd-order factor analysis lends support to a multidimensional view of attitudes about dating aggression.

Categorizing partner-violent men within the reactive-proactive typology model

A system for categorizing partner-violent men as either reactive or proactive aggressors was developed and evaluated in the present study. Sixty partner-violent men were reliably categorized, and the distribution (62% reactive, 38% proactive) fell within the expected range. Some construct validity was demonstrated, as several significant predicted group differences were found on factors of theoretical relevance to the typology model (affectivity, personality, and violence in the family-of-origin). Proactively versus reactively categorized participants were (a) more dominant and less angry during a 10-min interpartner interaction, (b) more antisocial and aggressive-sadistic and less dependent, and (c) more frequently classified as psychopathic (17% vs. 0%). Research and clinical implications of the system are discussed, as is the potential overlap between the reactively and proactively categorized partner-violent men in this study with previously identified types.

Childhood physical abuse, personality, and adult relationship violence: a model of vulnerability to victimization

An association between childhood physical abuse and current relationship violence was observed in a sample of 56 young adult women, suggesting that childhood physical abuse may be a unique risk factor for victimization in intimate adult relationships. Aspects of personality and interpersonal functioning that reflect extreme doubt about one's interpretation and understanding of interpersonal events, and an inability to make sensible causal connections between people's thoughts, feelings, and actions largely mediated this link. Implications for intervention and directions for future research are discussed.

Can questionnaire reports correctly classify relationship distress and partner physical abuse?

Relationship adjustment (e.g., Dyadic Adjustment Scale; DAS) and physical aggression (e.g., Conflict Tactics Scale) measures are used both as screening tools and as the sole criterion for classification. This study created face valid diagnostic interviews for relationship distress and physical abuse, through which one could compare preliminarily the classification properties of questionnaire reports. The DAS (and a global measure of relationship satisfaction) had modest agreement with a structured diagnostic interview; both questionnaires tended to overdiagnose distress compared with the interview. Results for partner abuse reiterated the need to go beyond occurrence of aggression as the sole diagnostic criterion, because men's aggression was more likely than women's to rise to the level of "abuse" when diagnostic criteria (injury or substantial fear) were applied.

High school students' responses to dating aggression

The purpose of this study was to identify high school students' actions in response to physical aggression in their dating relationships. The association of these actions with race/ethnicity and gender was also examined. From a sample of high school students (N = 476), a subsample who reported that they had experienced at least one episode of being victimized by physical aggression in a dating relationship (n = 183), served as the sample of interest. On average, students engaged in two help-seeking actions, with females reporting more actions than males. Overall, the most common responses to physical aggression in a dating relationship were aggressive action (e.g., fight back), informal help seeking, threatened or actual breakup, and doing nothing (males) or crying (females). Females were more likely to fight back than were males. Race was largely unrelated to students' actions. Intervention opportunities and areas for future research are discussed.

Categorizing partner-violent men within the reactive-proactive typology model

A system for categorizing partner-violent men as either reactive or proactive aggressors was developed and evaluated in the present study. Sixty partner-violent men were reliably categorized, and the distribution (62% reactive, 38% proactive) fell within the expected range. Some construct validity was demonstrated, as several significant predicted group differences were found on factors of theoretical relevance to the typology model (affectivity, personality, and violence in the family-of-origin). Proactively versus reactively categorized participants were (a) more dominant and less angry during a 10-min interpartner interaction, (b) more antisocial and aggressive-sadistic and less dependent, and (c) more frequently classified as psychopathic (17% vs. 0%). Research and clinical implications of the system are discussed, as is the potential overlap between the reactively and proactively categorized partner-violent men in this study with previously identified types.

Infidelity and separations precipitate major depressive episodes and symptoms of nonspecific depression and anxiety

This study examined whether humiliating marital events (HMEs; husbands' infidelity, threats of marital dissolution) precipitated Major Depressive Episodes (MDEs) when controlling for marital discord. Participants were 25 women who recently experienced an HME and 25 control women who did not experience an HME. Both groups reported similar levels of marital discord. Results indicated that HME participants were 6 times more likely to be diagnosed with an MDE than control participants. These results remained even after controlling for family and lifetime histories of depression. HME participants also reported significantly more symptoms of nonspecific depression and anxiety than control participants. However, HME and control participants did not report significantly different numbers of anhedonic depression and anxious arousal symptoms. The research and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Are women really more aggressive than men in intimate relationships? Comment on Archer (2000)

J. Archer's (2000) conclusion that women engage in slightly more physical aggression than men in intimate relationships but sustain more injuries is reasonable in representative samples. However, his conclusions will provoke negative reactions because they do not fit with the data and belief that men are generally more aggressive than women. In addition, they are incompatible with observations of professionals who serve battered women. Basically, the meta-analytic conclusion about aggression cannot be generalized to samples of physically abusive men and their partners. Nonetheless, the studies reviewed by Archer provide convincing data that physical aggression by women must be taken seriously if there is a sincere desire to prevent partner abuse.

Therapeutic alliance: predicting continuance and success in group treatment for spouse abuse

This study examined the role of the therapeutic alliance between client and therapist on group treatment outcome in 70 husband-to-wife violent couples. Strength of husbands' alliance assessed at Session 1 was positively associated with treatment outcome, as measured by decreased husband-to-wife mild and severe psychological and physical aggression. Strength of wives' alliance was unrelated to treatment outcome. Finally, although alliance was related to treatment outcome, it was unrelated to treatment completion.

Head injury and battered women: an initial inquiry

Approximately 2 to 3 million women are battered by their intimate partners each year. Severe injuries requiring emergency medical treatment of battered women have been noted, yet the prevalence of head injuries and the negative consequences emanating from such injuries have been noticeably absent from the literature. The descriptive study discussed in this article examined the case records of residents in a domestic violence shelter over a three-month period and found a 35 percent prevalence rate of battered women who had experienced head injury during a battering incident with their intimate partner. This study calls attention to the long-range difficulties that head-injured battered women may experience as a result of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral difficulties resulting from domestic violence and how social workers can intervene with this population.

Psychological abuse: a variable deserving critical attention in domestic violence

Policy makers and researchers give psychological abuse considerably less attention than physical abuse in the partner abuse area. One reason for the relative neglect of psychological abuse is that there are difficulties in arriving at a common definition of psychological abuse that might be useful to both the mental health and legal professions. Another reason for the relative neglect of psychological abuse has been an implicit assumption that physical abuse exacts a greater psychological toll on victims than does psychological abuse. At the extreme level of physical abuse, this assumption seems defensible, but at levels of physical aggression that are most common in marriage and long-term relationships, psychological abuse appears to have as great an impact as physical abuse. Even direct ratings of psychological and physical abuse by women in physically abusive relationships indicate that psychological abuse has a greater adverse effect on them than physical abuse. Retrospective reports, longitudinal research, and treatment dropout research all provide evidence that psychological abuse can exact a negative effect on relationships that is as great as that of physical abuse. Finally, psychological abuse almost always precedes physical abuse, so that prevention and treatment efforts clearly need to address psychological abuse. Eight measures of various forms of psychological abuse that have reasonable psychometric properties and considerable construct validity are reviewed and a definition of psychological abuse in intimate relations is provided.

Specificity of dating aggression and its justification among high-risk adolescents

Ninety-five high-risk adolescents were studied to determine whether their dating aggression and its justification as a response to interpersonal problems were specific to the current partner, general to dating relationships, or part of a global age-mate (same-sex peers and opposite-sex dating partners) aggression problem. Approximately one-third of males and two-thirds of females reported physical aggression against their current dating partner. Males' aggression (and its justification) toward their current dating partner was part of a generalized pattern of dating aggression, whereas for females, physical aggression against a current dating partner (and its justification) was partner-specific and unrelated to aggression in other relationships. Findings are discussed with regard to intervention and future research on adolescent dating aggression.

Major depressive disorder and depressive symptomatology as predictors of husband to wife physical aggression

This study investigated the association between a husband's depressive symptomatology and the frequency of physical aggression toward his wife, as well as a husband's Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and the frequency of physical aggression toward his wife. We assessed physically aggressive men who volunteered for treatment with their wives (N = 89). Almost one third had moderate levels of depressive symptomatology (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI > or = 14]), but only 11% met criteria for MDD (based on a structured interview [SCID]). Although the rate of MDD was not absolutely high, it was higher than that reported in a community sample (i.e., 3%). A significant relationship between increased depressive symptomatology and frequency of physical aggression was found, but the association was most likely accounted for by self-reported anger. Related contextual factors including marital discord and psychological aggression are addressed. Theoretical and treatment implications are discussed, including the severity of the treatment population (volunteer vs. court mandated), and severity of the depression (symptomatology vs. clinical diagnosis).

Evaluating domestic partner abuse in a family practice clinic

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Although national surveys indicate that approximately 2 million women are victims of severe physical aggression by their partners each year, these women are underidentified by physicians. The assessment by medical personnel of partner abuse is hampered by lack of a simple and reliable instrument that systematically and quickly determines the occurrence and effect of abuse among patients.

METHODS

Ninety (58% of an eligible pool) consecutive, consenting, eligible female patients at a suburban family practice clinic at a tertiary university hospital completed the Partner Abuse Interview to evaluate the 1-year prevalence and effect of abuse.

RESULTS

The Partner Abuse Interview required as little as 3 minutes to administer. Results obtained with the interview instrument were internally consistent. Interrater reliability was high for the diagnosis of partner relationship problems with physical abuse by males, as reported by females. Approximately 15% of the women reported having sustained injury or being fearful of their partners as a result of their partners' physical aggression in the past year.

CONCLUSIONS

The Partner Abuse Interview is a simple and reliable instrument that could be adapted for use by medical personnel to assess incidents of abuse among patients.

Efficacy of a dating violence prevention program on attitudes justifying aggression

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate a five-session dating violence prevention curriculum in terms of its effect on attitudes justifying the use of dating violence.

METHODS

The curriculum was implemented in all health classes in a Long Island, New York, school. A total of 193 students participated (boys, n = 106; girls, n = 87). A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate change in attitudes justifying dating violence, with health classes randomly assigned to the treatment or no-treatment conditions.

RESULTS

Pre- to postprogram assessments indicated that there were significant decreases in overall attitudes justifying the use of dating violence as a means to resolve conflict among students exposed to the curriculum material, whereas those who were not exposed did not show attitude change from pre- to postprogram evaluation.

CONCLUSIONS

The curriculum shows promise as an effective tool for changing attitudes condoning dating violence. Future research is needed to determine whether the observed attitude change is also linked to reduction in aggressive behaviors.

Assessment of coping strategies of child abusing mothers

OBJECTIVE

Mothers who had physically abused their children were assessed to determine whether these mothers had a general coping skills deficit.

METHOD

Abusing mothers (n = 17) were compared to nonabusing mothers of conduct problem children (n = 16). Coping was measured by several methods, each designed to address the insufficiencies of the others.

RESULTS

In comparison to the nonabusing mothers, independent ratings indicated that abusing mothers exhibited a pattern of coping characterized by greater use of emotion-focused coping strategies and less use of effective problem-focused strategies. Finally, using self report ratings of coping, abusing mothers perceived their coping to be more ineffective than the nonabusing mothers.

CONCLUSIONS

The possibility that the observed coping skills deficit may be indicative of a deficit in emotional responding to stress was discussed and suggestions were given for therapeutic interventions with child abusing mothers.

Behavioral components of marital satisfaction: an individualized assessment approach

This study examined the extent to which spousal behaviors, obtained through a daily checklist of marital activities individualized along an importance dimension, related to global and daily marital satisfaction. Eighty-two marital couples completed daily checklists of spousal behaviors for 7 days using either an individualized or a standardized assessment method. The results demonstrated that the individualized measures of daily behavioral events were significantly related to global and daily measures of marital satisfaction and discriminated distressed from nondistressed spouses. Although the individualized method did not correlate with marital satisfaction to a significantly greater degree than the standardized method, the individualized assessment approach provides a valid, viable, and cost-effective alternative for assessing daily spousal events that relate to marital satisfaction.

Romantic jealousy and affairs: research and implications for couple therapy

Romantic jealousy is often experienced after a situation is interpreted as threatening to one's intimate relationship and can involve elements of other emotions such as anger, fear, and sadness. An individual experiencing jealousy may engage in a number of behaviors and thought processes aimed at reducing jealousy or keeping the relationship intact. However, these cognitions and behaviors may not achieve either of these goals and may escalate problems in the relationship. We review the theoretical and empirical jealousy literature and integrate the research findings with existing models of couple therapy. Assessment and treatment guidelines are offered on the basis of theory, research, and clinical practice. Future research directions are also discussed.