Ambivalent Sexism, Alcohol Use, and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration

Hostile Masculinity, Male Peer Support for Violence, and Problematic Anger: Linking Childhood Abuse to Men's Partner Violence Perpetration

Child abuse and masculinity have been linked to intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. However, there is a lack of work examining multiple aspects of masculinity as links between early abuse experiences and men's IPV perpetration. Grounded in notions of gendered power and patriarchy, this study aimed to examine hostile masculinity, male peer support for violence against women, and problematic anger as aspects of masculinity connecting childhood victimization and men's violence against women. Structural equation modeling results demonstrated that childhood adversity was indirectly related to IPV perpetration via the proposed factors. However, various patterns emerged based on the type of childhood abuse experienced. Practice-based implications are offered.

Risk factors for intimate partner violence perpetration among college students: Impact of childhood adversities

Objective Intimate partner violence (IPV) among college students is a significant problem that negatively affects their physical and emotional health. This study aimed at examining risk factors, especially childhood adversities at the individual, relationship, and community levels, of IPV perpetration among college students. Methods: The sample from seven universities in the U.S. and Canada (N = 3,725) completed an online survey. Major variables included IPV perpetration, five types of childhood adversities, alcohol and drug use, depression, and demographic information. Logistic regression was performed. Results: Peer violence victimization, witnessing parental IPV, experiencing child maltreatment, drug use, and depression were associated with a higher odd of perpetrating IPV. Conclusions: Research and practice must account for exposure to multiple risk factors when intervening with college students. An integrative approach that combines trauma-informed interventions with substance use and mental health treatment may be most successful at IPV perpetration prevention and intervention among college students.

Pornography, sexual orientation and ambivalent sexism in young adults in Spain

BACKGROUND

On line platforms offer access to an almost unlimited variety of pornographic material that shows high levels of sexism. Despite this fact, there are still few studies that assess the effect of pornography on sexism in young adults The aim of this study is to analyze the association of pornography consumption and sexual orientation with benevolent sexism (BS) and hostile sexism (HS) in young men and women.

METHODS

We surveyed 2,346 people aged 18-35 years old. Multiple regression models were carried out for BS and HS. The independent variables: current pornography consumption and sexual orientation. Covariates: socio-demographic variables -age, sex, level of education and place of birth-.

RESULTS

A) HS: Men who consumed pornography had higher median values of HS than those who did not [β(95%CI):2.39(0.67;4.10)]. Homosexual/ bisexual men displayed lower values of HS than heterosexual men [β(95%CI):-2.98(-4.52;-1.45)]. The increase in HS levels associated with pornography consumption was notably greater in homosexual and bisexual women relative to heterosexual women, where that pattern was not observed [β(95%CI for interaction): 2.27(0.11; 4.43)]. B) BS: Mean values of BS were observed to be lower for both women [β(95%CI):-2.16(-2.99;-1.32)] and men [β(95%CI):-4.30(-5.75;-2.86)] who consumed pornography compared to those who did not. Homosexual/bisexual men recorded mean values of BS lower than heterosexual men [β(95%CI):-3.10(-4.21;-1.99)].

CONCLUSIONS

Pornography consumption is related to sexism and differs according to sex and sexual orientation. As sexism is the substratum of inequality between men and women, it is urgent to launch affective-sexual education programs for young people that take into account the determinants of sexism.

Is Adolescents' Cyber Dating Violence Perpetration Related to Problematic Pornography Use? The Moderating Role of Hostile Sexism

Intimate partner violence is an important public health problem. Cyber dating violence (CDV) is a form of intimate partner violence perpetrated within a dating relationship via new communication technologies. This study investigated the moderating roles of hostile and benevolent sexism in the relationship between problematic pornography use and CDV perpetration. The Cyber Pornography Use Inventory, the Cyber Dating Violence Inventory, and the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory were completed by 421 Italian adolescents (M = 16.53; females = 63.7%). Results indicated that problematic pornography use was positively related to CDV perpetration. In addition, the relationship between problematic pornography use and CDV perpetration was found to be moderated by hostile sexism. In participants with low levels of hostile sexism, the relationship between problematic pornography use and CDV perpetration was not significant. Conversely, in those with high levels of hostile sexism, this relationship was stronger and significant. Benevolent sexism was not found to be a moderator in the relationship between problematic pornography use and CDV perpetration. Thus, hostile sexism could be a risk factor for the relationship between adolescents' problematic pornography use and their engagement in CDV. Conversely, low levels of hostile sexism could be a protective factor.

The association between alcohol consumption and intimate partner violence in young male perpetrators in Mwanza, Tanzania: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Although alcohol consumption is a well-known risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, few studies have been conducted among young males in low- and middle-income countries. Alcohol consumption and IPV are both complex phenomena, whose association requires more in-depth exploration regarding drinking patterns and the alcohol-related manifestation of five different forms of IPV.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we sought to explore the relationship between alcohol use and IPV in young Tanzanian men and to identify differences in the magnitude of past-year IPV perpetration among alcohol drinkers and abstainers. Furthermore, we aimed to assess the association between various drinking patterns with the perpetration of different forms of IPV.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of 1002 young males residing in Mwanza, Tanzania, was conducted in 2021-2022. Data on alcohol consumption were collected using the alcohol use disorder identification test. IPV perpetration was assessed using an index total of 19 items on acts of physical, sexual, economic, emotional abuse, and controlling behaviour. Logistic regression models were conducted to estimate the relationship between alcohol use and the perpetration of each form of IPV.

RESULTS

Among partnered respondents currently consuming alcohol (n = 189, 18.8%), the most and the least prevalent IPV forms in the past 12 months were controlling behaviour (84.1%) and physical IPV (25.4%), respectively. Those reporting recent alcohol consumption reported higher rates of all forms of past-year IPV perpetration compared to abstainers. While no form of IPV was associated with low-risk consumption versus abstention, all forms of IPV were associated with hazardous drinking.

CONCLUSION

Young men who drink alcohol, especially those drinking hazardously, are also more likely to report perpetrating IPV. An understanding of the different drinking patterns and manifestations of forms of IPV can contribute to better-tailored alcohol-related interventions and has the potential to improve young adults' health and reduce IPV perpetration.

Neighborhood Ecological Models of Alcohol Outlet Density and Male–on–Female Domestic Violence: Accounting for Adjacent Place and Neighborhood Characteristics

Alcohol availability is a consistent predictor of domestic violence, including intimate partner violence. Less is known about the effects of alcohol availability in neighboring units of analysis on domestic violence. This study examined whether alcohol outlet density in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is associated with Male-on-Female domestic violence (MFDV). Using block groups as the unit of analysis ( N = 571), spatial regression models were estimated to model the relationship between the density of total, on-premise, and off-premise alcohol outlets on MFDV, while accounting for the spatial spillover effect (i.e., alcohol availability and neighborhood characteristics in focal and surrounding block groups). At the focal level, off-premise alcohol outlets are associated with MFDV, net of concentrated disadvantage, lack of health insurance, MFDV lag and total population. Additionally, off-premise alcohol outlet density in surrounding units of analysis is a significant predictor of MFDV. However, total and on-premise densities did not demonstrate a relationship with MFDV.

What Matters When Examining Attitudes of Economic Abuse? Gender and Student Status as Predictors of Blaming, Minimizing, and Excusing Economic Abuse

Extensive research has been conducted regarding attitudes toward various types and patterns of violence against intimate partners, but there is a lack of research on attitudes toward economic abuse in general. In the current study, we examined attitudes toward economic abuse by examining how participants blamed the victim, minimized the economic abuse, and excused the perpetrator in hypothetical scenarios. We also examined two characteristics of participants: binary gender differences (i.e., woman, man) and differences between students and non-students. Participants (N = 239) were recruited via the SONA system of a private university (n = 120) and via Amazon's Mechanical Turk (n = 119). Participants were randomly assigned to read one of two hypothetical scenarios to evaluate how scenario condition (i.e., victim employed, victim unemployed), participant gender, and participant student status predicted attitudes toward economic abuse involving blaming, minimizing, and excusing. Moreover, we also examined ambivalent sexism and gender role ideology as predictors. A 2 (scenario condition: job, no job) × 2 (participant gender: woman, man) × 2 (student status: college student, non-college student) MANOVA indicated main effects of both participant gender and participant student status. Follow-up ANOVAs revealed that men were more likely to blame victims, minimize the economic abuse, and excuse perpetrators compared to women. Additionally, students were less likely to minimize the economic abuse compared to non-students. Moreover, both hostile sexism and traditional gender role ideology were significant predictors. Implications of the findings and future directions for researchers are discussed.

From Endorsement of Ambivalent Sexism to Psychological IPV Victimization: The Role of Attitudes Supportive of IPV, Legitimating Myths of IPV, and Acceptance of Psychological Aggression

Research on intimate partner violence (IPV) has recognized psychological abuse as a precursor of physical and sexual violence in intimate relationships. However, risk factors in predicting women's psychological abuse victimization in such a context are still unclear. The goal of the present work was to investigate the role of ambivalent sexism on psychological IPV victimization, by taking into account in the same study the effect of three additional social-psychological factors: women's (i) attitudes supportive of IPV, (ii) endorsement of legitimating myths of IPV, and (iii) acceptance of psychological aggression in intimate relationships. A total of 408 Italian young women (M age = 23.87; SD = 2.39) involved in non-marital heterosexual romantic relationships completed measures aimed at assessing (i) hostile and benevolent sexism, (ii) attitudes supportive of IPV, (iii) legitimating myths of IPV, (iv) prevalence of psychological abuse experienced within the last 12 months, and performed a task developed ad hoc to measure, and (v) acceptance of psychological aggression in intimate relationships. Results showed that the effect of ambivalent sexism on participants' prevalence of psychological abuse was mediated by the endorsement of attitudes supportive of IPV and legitimating myths of IPV, as well as by acceptance of psychological aggression. Findings are discussed based on literature about ambivalent sexism, and attitudes and beliefs about IPV.

Thai Police Officers' Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence and Victim Blaming: The Influence of Sexism and Female Gender Roles

Police officers are typically the first responders when victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) report abuse. Therefore, police officers' attitudes toward IPV and victim blaming are crucial. This study aimed to observe how police officers' sexist attitudes affect their perspectives on IPV and their victim-blaming attitudes, depending on the gender role exhibited by the victim. The Ambivalent Sexism Inventory was used to classify 139 Thai male police officers into four groups of sexism: hostile sexist, benevolent sexist, ambivalent sexist, and nonsexist. Then, the participants were randomly assigned to watch a simulation video, in which a victim of IPV filed a report after being abused by her husband. There were two versions of the video, one in which the victim played a traditional gender role and the other a nontraditional role. Multivariate analysis of variance was employed for data analysis. The results demonstrated statistically significant effects of ambivalent sexism and victim's gender role on attitudes toward IPV and victim blaming. This study contributes to the growing body of research on police officers' performances in the context of IPV in Thailand and contributes to existing scholarship. It provides Thai police precincts with information that can equip them to develop new sensitivity training programs and can help legislators improve the effectiveness of victim protection acts.

Alcohol, Aggression, and Violence: From Public Health to Neuroscience

Alcohol has been associated with violent crimes and domestic violence across many nations. Various etiological factors were linked to chronic alcohol use and violence including psychiatric comorbidities of perpetrators such as personality disorders, mood disorders, and intermittent explosive disorders. Aggression is the precursor of violence and individuals prone to aggressive behaviors are more likely to commit impulsive violent crimes, especially under the influence of alcohol. Findings from brain studies indicate long-term alcohol consumption induced morphological changes in brain regions involved in self-control, decision-making, and emotional processing. In line with this, the inherent dopaminergic and serotonergic anomalies seen in aggressive individuals increase their susceptibility to commit violent crimes when alcohol present in their system. In relation to this, this article intends to investigate the influence of alcohol on aggression with sociopsychological and neuroscientific perspectives by looking into comorbidity of personality or mood disorders, state of the mind during alcohol consumption, types of beverages, environmental trigger, neurochemical changes, and gender differences that influence individual responses to alcohol intake and susceptibility to intoxicated aggression.

Ambivalent sexism and sexual objectification of women as predictors of rape myth acceptance among male college students in Greater Jakarta

Sexual violence against women, particularly in the form of rape, is a serious issue that must be addressed in Indonesia. However, victims of sexual violence are not enveloped by a supportive atmosphere due to the pervasive acceptance of rape myths in society. This study examined the role of ambivalent sexism and sexual objectification of women in predicting the acceptance of rape myths among male college students in Greater Jakarta, Indonesia. A sample of 275 male college students completed the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale-Short Form, Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, and Women Are Sexual Objects subscale from the Attitude Toward Dating and Relationship Measure Revised. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that ambivalent sexism and sexual objectification of women significantly predicted rape myth acceptance, with sexual objectification of women tends to have more contribution. This finding explains that to develop and conduct prevention and treatment, both variables need to be addressed, with more attention given to the sexual objectification of women.

What Role Does Substance Use Play in Intimate Partner Violence? A Narrative Analysis of In-Depth Interviews With Men in Substance Use Treatment and Their Current or Former Female Partner

Few studies have examined intimate partner violence (IPV) in relationships where one or both partners are in treatment for substance use, from the perspectives of both members of a couple. This study used thematic and narrative analysis of the accounts of 14 men recruited from substance use services and 14 women who were their current or former intimate partners. Separate researchers interviewed men and women from the same dyad pair. The psychopharmacological effects of substance use (including intoxication, craving, and withdrawal) were rarely the only explanation offered for IPV. Violence was reported to be primed and entangled with sexual jealousy, with perceptions of female impropriety and with women's opposition to male authority. Both partners reported adversities and psychological vulnerabilities that they considered relevant to conflict and abuse. Male participants were more likely to describe IPV as uncharacteristic isolated events that arose from specific disputes-either aggravated by intoxication or withdrawal or about substance use and its resourcing-whereas women described enduring patterns of abusive behavior often linked to intoxication, craving, withdrawal, and to disputes linked to raising funds for substances. In relationships where both partners used substances, men described the need to protect their partners from addiction and from unscrupulous others while women described highly controlling behavior. In relationships where women were not dependent substance users, they reported the combined effects of psychological and financial abuse often linked to recurring patterns of substance use and relapse. These findings highlight the challenges faced by practitioners working with male perpetrators who use substances as well as the need of those working with women who have been abused to engage with the ways in which hesitance to leave male abusers can be complicated by shared drug dependency.

Sexist Myths Emergency Healthcare Professionals and Factors Associated with the Detection of Intimate Partner Violence in Women

This study analysed the capacity of emergency physicians and nurses working in the city of Granada (Spain) to respond to intimate partner violence (IPV) against women, and the mediating role of certain factors and opinions towards certain sexist myths in the detection of cases. This is a cross-sectional study employing the physician readiness to manage intimate partner violence survey (PREMIS) between October 2020 and January 2021, with 164 surveys analysed. Descriptive and analytical statistics were applied, designing three multivariate regression models by considering opinions about different sexist myths. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were considered for the detection of cases. In the past six months, 34.8% of professionals reported that they had identified some cases of IPV, particularly physicians (OR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.14–5.16; OR = 2.65, 95% CI = 1.26–5.56). Those who did not express opinions towards sexist myths related to the understanding of the victim or the consideration of alcohol/drug abuse as the main causes of violence and showed a greater probability of detecting a case (NS) (OR = 1.26 and OR = 1.65, respectively). In order to confirm the indicia found, further research is required, although there tends to be a common opinion towards the certain sexual myth of emergency department professionals not having an influence on IPV against women.

Cognitive and Affective Mediators of Alcohol-Facilitated Intimate Partner Aggression

This multisite study examined whether aggressive cognitions and facial displays of negative affect and anger experienced during provocation mediated the association between alcohol intoxication and intimate partner aggression (IPA). Participants were 249 heavy drinkers (148 men, 101 women) with a recent history of IPA perpetration. Participants were randomly assigned to an Alcohol or No-Alcohol Control beverage condition and completed a shock-based aggression task involving apparent provocation by their intimate partner. During provocation, a hidden camera recorded participants' facial expressions and verbal articulations, which were later coded using the Facial Action Coding System and the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations paradigm. Results indicated that the positive association between alcohol intoxication and partner-directed physical aggression was mediated by participants' aggressive cognitions, but not by negative affect or anger facial expressions. These findings implicate aggressogenic cognitions as a mediating mechanism underlying the association between the acute effects of alcohol and IPA perpetration.

When Are Sexist Attitudes Risk Factors for Dating Aggression? The Role of Moral Disengagement in Spanish Adolescents

This research aimed to explore the interplay of sexism and moral disengagement (MD) in the explanation of psychological and physical dating aggression. The sample comprised 1113 Spanish adolescents (49.2% girls, n = 552) between the ages of 12 to 17 (M = 14.44). A latent profile analysis conducted with sub-sample of 432 adolescents with sentimental experience identified four configurations: (1) benevolent; (2) less disengaged and sexist; (3) highly disengaged and sexist; and (4) moderately disengaged and sexist. Regarding gender and age, boys were more present than girls in the moderately disengaged and sexist group, as well as in the highly disengaged and sexist profile. The highly disengaged and sexist and benevolent groups were the youngest. Regarding dating aggression, the highly disengaged and sexist group had the highest engagement in physical and psychological aggression. However, the others three profiles showed a similar engagement in aggression. These findings confirmed the moderating role of MD on the relationship between sexism and dating aggression and suggested that the association between MD, sexism, and dating aggression was exponential; that is, the risk appeared when adolescents were extremely hostile and disengaged. The results have implications for the design of tailored dating aggression prevention programmes.

The "White Knight" effect: Benevolent sexism accounts for bystander intervention in party situations among high status men

Prior research indicates that adherence to the male role norm suggesting men should seek to attain social status (i.e., status) is positively related to prosocial bystander attitudes and behavior; however, moderators of this effect have yet to be examined. One construct that may influence this effect is benevolent sexism. The present study sought to fill this gap in the literature. Participants were 148 men 21-30 years of age from the metro Atlanta area who reported that they had engaged in heavy drinking at least three times in the past year. A moderation model was used to examine the independent and interactive effects of adherence to the status norm and benevolent sexism on bystander behavior within party settings for friends and strangers. The model predicting bystander behavior towards friends showed a significant interaction between status and benevolent sexism (b = .59, p = .021). The association between adherence to the status norm and bystander behavior was significant and positive among men who reported high benevolent sexism (β = .96, p = .003), but not low benevolent sexism (β=.15, p=.619). No such effects were detected for bystander behavior for strangers. Findings suggest that males who hold traditional male ideologies around chivalry may be more likely to engage in prosocial bystander behavior towards women in party situations, perhaps as a way of demonstrating their high status. These findings have implications for future programming for men.

Alcohol Use, Hostile Sexism, and Religious Self-Regulation: Investigating Risk and Protective Factors of IPV Perpetration

Research suggests that the relationship between alcohol use and intimate partner violence (IPV) is moderated by a range of other factors. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between alcohol use, hostile sexism, and religious self-regulation with perpetration. Using a national sample of 255 men, we found that hostile sexism was associated with physical violence toward a partner and alcohol use was positively associated with psychological abuse toward a partner. With regard to religious self-regulation, we found that introjected religious self-regulation was positively associated with hostile sexism and positively associated with perpetrating physical IPV. Identified religious self-regulation was negatively associated with physical violence perpetration. We also found significant interactions among our independent measures on physical IPV perpetration. These analyses suggest that increased alcohol consumption elevates the risk for physical violence perpetration among men who are high in introjected religious self-regulation and low in hostile sexism, while reducing the risk for perpetration in men who are high in identified religious self-regulation and low in hostile sexism. Implications and limitations of the findings are discussed.

Synergy between Acceptance of Violence and Sexist Attitudes as a Dating Violence Risk Factor

The normalization of aggressive behavior in teenage couples when they are dating is a phenomenon that is currently reaching very worrying proportions. The consequences are creating a serious public health problem and have hence aroused the interest of many researchers as to its causes. Most have centered on the role of the aggressor. However, the processes of aggression and victimization are inseparable, and relegating the victims to the background only contributes to increasing the prevalence, severity, and perdurability of the problem. The objectives of this study were to: (i) identify the types and frequency of abuse that adolescents suffer in their relationships; (ii) analyze the relationship between sexist attitudes, acceptance of violence, and victimization; and (iii) determine predictors of the violence suffered in adolescent dating relationships. The sample comprised 2577 adolescents (55.2% girls) of 14 to 18 years in age (M = 15.9, SD = 1.2). The instruments used were the dating violence questionnaire (Cuestionario de Violencia de Novios, CUVINO) and the Scale of detection of sexism in adolescents (Escala de Detección de Sexismo en Adolescentes, DSA). The results indicate that victims showed high tolerance towards gender violence. Acceptance was greater the more frequent the abuse or aggressions suffered. Regarding sexist attitudes, only those belonging to the benevolent dimension had predictive value. The results also show that the interaction between acceptance of the abuse suffered and the manifestation of benevolent sexist attitudes predicted victimization involving specific forms of aggression.

Ambivalent sexism of nursing students in Turkey and South Korea: A cross-cultural comparison study

Culture has become increasingly important concepts in nursing in the era of globalization. Nurses' cultural biases and prejudices are huge obstacles to their caring for patients from diverse cultural backgrounds. Therefore, this study examined sexism among nursing students from two patriarchal societies: Turkey influenced by Islam, and South Korea influenced by Confucianism. For this comparative study, we used the survey data from the sample of 560 nursing students, 309 from Turkey and 251 from South Korea. The findings showed that both samples showed high levels of sexism, both hostile and benevolent. When comparing the two samples, Turkish nursing students showed significantly higher sexism than did Korean students. Additionally, in both countries, male participants showed higher scores on sexism, especially hostile sexism. In terms of age, older students in Turkey showed lower levels of benevolent sexism. We hope the findings of this study can provide evidence to develop customized transcultural nursing education content in the context of different ethnicities and to help nurses and nursing students from specific cultural backgrounds in becoming aware of their own cultures.

Couples data from north-western Tanzania: Insights from a survey of male partners of women enrolled in the MAISHA cluster randomized trial of an intimate partner violence prevention intervention

INTRODUCTION

Globally, around 30% of ever-partnered women have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) during their lifetime. To date, most research into causes and prevention of IPV involves surveys of women, with little research into risk-factors for male perpetration. This paper describes a survey of male partners of women participating in the MAISHA cluster randomised trial (CRT) of an IPV prevention intervention, in Mwanza City, Tanzania. Using linked couples' data, we explore man-, woman-, and relationship-/household-level factors associated with physical and sexual IPV.

METHODS

Women were interviewed at baseline and 29-months follow-up. At follow-up, women were asked for consent to invite their partner to participate in the male survey. We describe response rates for the women's follow-up and male partners' surveys, and identify factors associated with women's consent to approach partners. Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore factors associated with women's past-year experiences of physical and sexual IPV.

RESULTS

512 (65%) partnered women consented for the partner to be approached, higher among intervention than control women. 425 (83%) male partners were interviewed. Women consenting were disproportionately likely to be in longer-term relationships. Past-year IPV was associated with lower consent among control women, but greater consent in the intervention arm. Factors associated with increased odds of physical IPV were women's childhood experiences of abuse, young age, women's lower income and women's attitudes justifying IPV. Sexual IPV was associated with women's childhood experiences of abuse, young age, educational disparity within couple, men's alcohol use and women's poor mental health.

CONCLUSIONS

We successfully conducted a survey of male partners with the full consent of women trial participants. The breadth of factors associated with IPV demonstrates the need for IPV prevention interventions to work with women and men, and specifically couples. Interventions should address risk-factors for both physical and sexual IPV.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression in Men and Women Who Perpetrate Intimate Partner Violence

Poor mental health is a risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. Literature suggests that gender differences play a role in this association. The aims of this study were to examine the: 1) prevalence of IPV perpetrated by men and women; and 2) association between symptoms of depression or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and IPV perpetration among men and women. A convenience sample of 210 people living in three peri-urban areas in South Africa completed self-report questionnaires that assessed symptoms of common mental health disorders and IPV. Gender differences were not found with regard to perpetrating physical assault and psychological aggression, although men were more likely than women to report perpetration of sexual coercion (42.9% vs. 23.8%). Men who reported higher symptoms of PTSD were 3 times (OR = 2.63, p = .023) more likely to report perpetrating sexual coercion, when controlling for demographic characteristics and symptoms of depression, than men who reported lower levels of PTSD. Women who reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression were 4 times (OR = 3.9, p = .01) more likely to report perpetrating physical assault, when controlling for demographic characteristics and symptoms of PTSD, than women who reported minimal to mild symptoms of depression. Findings add further support for differences in rates of IPV perpetration, and poor mental health as a risk for IPV perpetration. Interventions aimed at reducing IPV perpetration in the South African setting will only be marginally effective if gender-specific interventions are not developed that consider co-occurring symptoms of PTSD and depression.