The interplay of trait anger, childhood physical abuse, and alcohol consumption in predicting intimate partner aggression

Childhood trauma and college student health: a review of the literature

The experience of childhood trauma is known to predict health-relevant outcomes across the lifespan. Previous reviews summarize existing knowledge of the implications of childhood trauma for health in young adults and adults more generally. The current theoretical review aims to integrate the existing literature on the relationship between childhood trauma and health-relevant outcomes specifically in college students, consolidating findings across specific health domains. Further, the following theoretical review highlights the need for more research in this area and discusses how college campuses may use the knowledge in this area of work to develop targeted interventions aimed at improving the health of college students who experienced trauma in childhood.

Physical Abuse Explains Sex Differences in the Link Between Psychopathy and Aggression

Psychopathy has long been associated with aggression. However, few studies have looked at differences between men and women. Studies that do exist demonstrate that psychopathy differentially relates to aggression in men and women and indicate that environmental factors may play a significant role in influencing these associations. A key environmental factor is a history of lifetime physical abuse (LPA), which has been linked to aggressive behavior in both men and women. The aim of the present study was to test if psychopathy differentially predicted physical, verbal, and indirect aggression in men and women, and if these associations were moderated by LPA. In a large community sample of men (n = 369) and women (n = 204), we assessed the 4-facet model of psychopathy (Interpersonal, Affective, Lifestyle, Antisocial) with the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version, LPA with the Addiction Severity Index, and self-report aggression with the Aggression Questionnaire. Results revealed sex differences and similarities. Physical aggression was associated with the affective facet of psychopathy in both men and women, though in different directions based on the moderating effects of LPA. Verbal aggression was associated with higher antisocial facet scores and LPA for men and not women. Finally, indirect aggression was associated with the antisocial facet of psychopathy for men, and the interpersonal facet for women, and these associations were not moderated by LPA. In women, low antisocial facet scores and no LPA were found to be protective for indirect aggression. These results show that LPA and psychopathy generally increase the risk of aggression, but the interaction between LPA and psychopathy differentiates the risk of aggression forms for men and women. These sex differences highlight the need for female-responsive interventions to target sex-specific risk factors for aggressive behavior.

Intimate partner violence and social connection among married women in rural Bangladesh

BACKGROUND

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is high among married women in Bangladesh. Social isolation is a well-established correlate of women's exposure to IPV, but the role of such factors in low-income and middle-income countries is not well understood. In this study, we explore whether social connection is protective against IPV among married women in rural Bangladesh.

METHODS

Data were drawn from a multistage, stratified, population-based longitudinal sample of 3355 married women in rural Bangladesh, who were surveyed on individual and contextual risk factors of IPV. Negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the association between three different domains of social connection (natal family contact, female companionship and instrumental social support), measured at baseline in 2013, and the risk of three different forms of IPV (psychological, physical and sexual), approximately 10 months later, adjusted for woman's level of education, spouse's level of education, level of household wealth, age and age of marriage.

RESULTS

Adjusted models showed that instrumental social support was associated with a lower risk of past year psychological IPV (risk ratio (RR)=0.84, 95% CI 0.769 to 0.914), sexual IPV (RR=0.90, 95% CI 0.822 to 0.997) and physical IPV (RR=0.81, 95% CI 0.718 to 0.937). Natal family contact was also associated with a lower risk of each type of IPV, but not in a graded fashion. Less consistent associations were observed with female companionship.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that social connection, particularly in the form of instrumental support, may protect married women in rural Bangladesh from experiencing IPV.

Effects of rural-urban residence and education on intimate partner violence among women in Sub-Saharan Africa: a meta-analysis of health survey data

Background

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) against women is a major public health and human rights problem worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has one of the highest prevalence of IPV against women in the world. This study used meta-analysis to obtain pooled rural–urban and education attainment differences in the prevalence of IPV among ever-partnered women in SSA, and assessed whether the differences in IPV depended on the SSA region or period or women’s age.

Methods

We analysed IPV data on 233,585 ever-partnered women aged 15–49 years from 44 demographic and health surveys conducted between 2000 and 2018 in 29 SSA countries. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to estimate overall rural–urban residence and educational differences in IPV rates among the women in SSA. Subgroup analyses were also done to investigate the sources of heterogeneity in the overall meta-analysis findings.

Results

The pooled prevalence of intimate partner violence was estimated to be 41.3% (37.4–45.2%). Regionally, the highest prevalence of IPV was in Middle Africa (49. 3%; 40.32–58.45), followed by East Africa (44.13%; 36.62–51.67), Southern Africa (39.36%; 34.23–44.49), and West Africa (34.30%; 27.38–41.22). The risks of experiencing IPV were significantly higher if the women had less than secondary education (RR = 1.12; 95% CI  1.07–1.22) compared to those with at least a secondary education. Generally, women who resided in a rural area had their risks of experiencing IPV increased (RR = 1.02; CI 0.96–1.06) compared to those who resided in urban areas, but the IPV increases were only significant in East Africa (RR = 1.13; CI 1.07–1.22).

Conclusion

In sub-Saharan Africa, intimate partner violence against women is widespread, but the levels are much higher among women with lower levels of education and residing in rural areas. Our findings have provided additional support to policies aimed at achieving SDG goals on the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa. For example, policies that advocate improved educational attainment, especially among women and communities in rural areas.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12905-021-01286-5.

A Systematic Review of Dating Violence Risk Factors Among Undergraduate College Students

College students are a vulnerable population for dating violence (DV) because of the social environment in which they live and interact with other students. Campus climate surveys are considered best practice for gathering information about the severity and cause of college DV; however, there are still unanswered questions as to why DV remains an alarming public health concern among college students. The aim of this systematic literature review was to examine DV risk factors specific to college students with a special focus on methodological factors and gaps in the literature. Databases EBSCO, Scopus, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, ERIC, and PubMed were searched for articles published between 2006 and 2016, resulting in 23 articles that met inclusion criteria for this review. Very few studies were conducted at private universities (n = 4). Most researchers used descriptive cross-sectional surveys (n = 22), while only one utilized a mixed-methods approach. Measurement scales used to collect DV rates were similar across studies, yet the definition of DV was inconsistent. Types and severity of DV varied across studies, but overall, females were more likely to perpetrate and/or experience DV than males. Individual risk factors (e.g., substance use, risky sexual behaviors) were identified more often than family risk factors (e.g., intergenerational violence) and peer and social risk factors (e.g., Greek-life or athletic team membership, relationship type). A better understanding of new college relationships is critical to identify modifiable risk factors for DV. Recommendations for future practice and research are also discussed.

Sexual Aggression Analogues Used in Alcohol Administration Research: Critical Review of Their Correspondence to Alcohol-Involved Sexual Assaults

BACKGROUND

Alcohol administration studies are crucial because causal questions about alcohol's role in human behavior can only be answered through experimental research that randomly assigns participants to drink conditions. The primary goal of this review was to catalogue the characteristics of experimental analogues used in alcohol administration research to assess men's sexual aggression proclivity and evaluate the extent to which they represent the scope of alcohol-involved sexual aggression. Although this review focuses on sexual aggression analogues, the identified methodological issues are relevant to a wide range of alcohol administration studies.

METHODS

Online databases were searched for published studies that randomly assigned participants to drink conditions and assessed participants' sexual aggression proclivity with an experimental analogue. Characteristics of the analogues were coded by both authors.

RESULTS

Seventeen studies were identified that used 12 unique experimental analogues. All of the analogues depicted a completed or potential sexual assault in an apartment between a male perpetrator and female victim who did not know each other well. This information was presented in written (n = 7), audio (n = 1), video (n = 3), or virtual simulation (n = 1) format. Sexual aggression proclivity was measured through participants' self-reports (n = 10) and behavioral responses (n = 2). Perpetrators primarily used physical force which the woman verbally and physically resisted. Only one analogue depicted behavioral signs of the woman's alcohol impairment; none included signs of the man's alcohol impairment.

CONCLUSIONS

These analogues were designed to address important theoretical questions; however, they do not represent the full range of alcohol-involved sexual assaults. This hampers the development of evidence-based prevention and treatment programs because we do not know whether these findings generalize to other types of sexual assaults (e.g., with incapacitated victims, within serious relationships, with sexual and other gender minorities). Funding agencies need to support more alcohol administration research in order to provide a strong foundation for the development of effective interventions.

Childhood Victimization, Recent Injustice, Anger, and Forgiveness in a Sample of Imprisoned Male Offenders

The links between childhood victimization, subsequent emotional dysregulation, and insufficient coping skills have been repeatedly documented in the scientific literature. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the role of forgiveness as a coping strategy and relationships between offense-specific hurt, chronic anger, and early victimization. The goals of our study were (a) to explore how offenders cope with recent unjust treatment, and test the links between type of injustice, hurt experienced due to injustice, and use of forgiveness; (b) to test the links between childhood victimization, hurt, and chronic anger; and (c) to assess the mediating role of chronic anger in relation to hurt and forgiveness. The results reveal that multiplicity and severity of victimization exposure in the prison sample are positively associated with chronic anger, but not with hurt. The type of injustice affects the level of hurt and forgiveness, while chronic anger mediates the link between hurt and forgiveness. To improve coping and promote forgiving, offenders should be helped to identify everyday sources of stress and learn to express vulnerable feelings beneath anger.

A Study Space Analysis and Narrative Review of Trauma-Informed Mediators of Dating Violence

Research linking child maltreatment and dating violence in adolescence and emerging adulthood has proliferated in the past two decades; however, the precise mechanisms by which these experiences are related remain elusive. A trauma-informed perspective suggests four particularly promising mediators: maladaptive attachment, emotion regulation difficulties, emotional distress, and hostility. The current article characterizes the status of the empirical literature examining these four mediators using a study space analysis and a narrative review of existing research. An extensive literature search identified 42 papers (44 studies) that met the following criteria: (1) at least one measure of child maltreatment (emotional, physical, sexual, neglect, or exposure to intimate partner violence); (2) a measure of one of the four mediator variables; (3) a measure of dating violence perpetration or victimization; and (4) a sample of adolescents or young adults. The study space analysis suggested several important observations about the research on this topic, including a dearth of studies examining hostility as a mediator and little research using prospective designs or clinical samples. There are also limitations with the conceptualization and measurement of dating violence, child maltreatment, and some of the mediator variables. In addition, few studies examined more than one mediator variable in the same study. The narrative review suggested that maladaptive attachment (specifically insecure attachment styles), emotion regulation difficulties (specifically regulation of the emotion of anger), and emotional distress construed broadly represent promising mediators of the association between child maltreatment and dating violence, but conclusions about mediation must remain tentative given the state of the literature. The discussion offers recommendations for improved theoretical and empirical rigor to advance future research on mechanisms linking child maltreatment and dating violence.

Pathways from witnessing parental violence during childhood to involvement in intimate partner violence in adult life: The roles of depression and substance use

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of witnessing parental violence (WPV) during childhood and of current intimate partner violence (IPV) victimisation and aggression in a Brazilian sample, in order to verify pathways between WPV and involvement in IPV as an adult.

DESIGN AND METHODS

The mediating roles of substance use and depression were investigated. Data came from the Second Brazilian National Alcohol and Drugs Survey, a multi-cluster probabilistic household survey, which gathered information on the use of psychoactive substances, current depressive disorder, history of childhood direct and indirect exposure to domestic violence and IPV in a nationally representative sample. A subsample of 2120 individuals aged 14 years or older was analysed. Weighted prevalence rates, adjusted odds ratio and conditional path models were performed.

RESULTS

Being a victim of IPV was reported by 6% of the sample. Thus being, 4.1% reported being IPV perpetrators; these rates were 16.6% and 7.3%, respectively, among those who reported WPV (13%). WPV was associated with being a victim of IPV in adult life, but not with becoming a perpetrator, regardless of being a victim of physical violence during childhood. There was a direct effect of WPV on IPV mediated by depressive symptoms. Alcohol and cocaine consumption and age of drinking initiation mediated only when combined with depressive symptoms.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Intergenerational transmission models of IPV through exposure during childhood can help to explain the high rates of domestic violence in Brazil. Our findings provide evidence to implement targeted prevention strategies where they are needed most: the victims of premature adverse experiences. [Madruga CS, Viana MC, Abdalla RR, Caetano R, Laranjeira R. Pathways from witnessing parental violence during childhood to involvement in intimate partner violence in adult life: The roles of depression and substance use. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:107-114].

Breakthroughs in understanding addiction and close relationships

Substance use is one aspect of life that can serve to bring couples together or tear them apart. Evidence has accumulated for both substance use affecting relationship distress (e.g., partners of substance users report poorer individual and relational outcomes) as well as relationship conflict affecting subsequent substance use (e.g., individuals use substances as a way to cope with interpersonal conflict and distress). We discuss several determinants of each association, including individual difference and relationship-specific constructs. We conclude by considering how conceptualizing addiction as an interdependent-rather than independent-process is critical for future theory refinement and intervention development.

The Cyber Aggression in Relationships Scale: A New Multidimensional Measure of Technology-Based Intimate Partner Aggression

The purpose of this study was to develop and provide initial validation for a measure of adult cyber intimate partner aggression (IPA): the Cyber Aggression in Relationships Scale (CARS). Drawing on recent conceptual models of cyber IPA, items from previous research exploring general cyber aggression and cyber IPA were modified and new items were generated for inclusion in the CARS. Two samples of adults 18 years or older were recruited online. We used item factor analysis to test the factor structure, model fit, and invariance of the measure structure across women and men. Results confirmed that three-factor models for both perpetration and victimization demonstrated good model fit, and that, in general, the CARS measures partner cyber aggression similarly for women and men. The CARS also demonstrated validity through significant associations with in-person IPA, trait anger, and jealousy. Findings suggest the CARS is a useful tool for assessing cyber IPA in both research and clinical settings.

Emotion Regulation Difficulties Moderate the Association Between Heavy Episodic Drinking and Dating Violence Perpetration Among College Men

Because of high rates of heavy drinking and dating violence (psychological or physical aggression toward a dating partner) among college men, we examined whether emotion regulation difficulties moderated the association between heavy drinking and dating violence perpetration. One hundred and fifty-eight men were recruited from a large northwestern US university between April 2014 and August 2014. Participants completed an online survey that assessed their emotion regulation difficulties as well as their past year history of heavy episodic drinking (HED; consuming 5+ drinks in 2 hours) and dating violence perpetration. Generalized linear models revealed that the positive association between HED and dating violence perpetration was stronger for men with greater impulse control difficulties and for those who reported limited access to emotion regulation strategies. In addition to continued efforts to reduce heavy drinking among college men, interventions targeting emotion regulation difficulties should be incorporated into standard dating violence intervention and prevention efforts to further reduce the likelihood of dating violence perpetration in this population.

Determinants of Intimate Partner Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review of Prevention and Intervention Programs

Intimate partner violence (IPV) in sub-Saharan Africa affects 36% of the population. Several African countries rank among the highest globally. In this article, we present evidence on the prevalence, determinants, and impact of IPV across several sub-Saharan African countries interpreted against the backdrop of social ecological theory. We also describe prevention or intervention programs tested in different regions of Africa, selecting only those programs which were published in a journal outlet and which met a high criteria of implementation and methodology (n = 7). Based on our review of the empirical literature, some risk factors for violence documented in Western societies are the same in Africa, including poverty, drinking, a past history of child abuse or posttraumatic stress disorder, and highly traditional gender role beliefs. Low education is also associated with IPV for both women and men. In Africa, partner abuse intersects with the HIV pandemic, making violence prevention especially urgent. African programs to prevent IPV are often incorporated with HIV prevention; community building and community engagement are emphasized more in Africa than in North America or Europe, which invoke more individually focused approaches. Some programs we review lowered HIV exposure in women; others contributed to reduced violence perpetration among men. The programs show sufficient promise to recommend replication and dissemination in sub-Saharan Africa.