This study was conducted to examine the moderating effects of attributions on the relationship between marital satisfaction and marital violence. It was predicted that distressed spouses who made more maladaptive attributions for partner behavior would be more likely to engage in marital violence than would distressed spouses who offered fewer…

Alcohol consumption is often associated with aggressive behaviors. This study compared the contexts and reasons for drinking of maritally violent men (N=44) and three maritally nonviolent comparison groups: happily married men (N=54), unhappily married men (N=41), and men who had been convicted of a violent offense, but who did not beat their…

Tests hypotheses shaped by family stress and resource theories about the impact of household economic indicators on the risk of violence against women in intimate relationships. Measures of employment status, job conditions, and economic well-being for male and female partners are examined with logistic regression analyses as predictors of the…

The capacity of communities to prevent violence is examined from three perspectives: youth violence, child maltreatment, and intimate partner violence. The analysis suggests that community social control and collective efficacy are significant protective factors for all three types of violence, but these need to be further distinguished for their…

Current research about violence in intimate relationships suggests that at least two qualitatively distinct types of violence exist. This new knowledge challenges the dominant conceptualization of intimate violence as solely a manifestation of patriarchal male dominance. Following a review of the research and analysis of illustrative clinical…

A community probability-sampled survey was done of 181 Chinese American women to investigate the prevalence and nature of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Chinese Americans. Of participants, 42% knew a Chinese woman who had experienced IPV. Also, 14% had experienced IPV themselves in their lifetime (8% severe and 6% minor), 3% in the previous…

Describes a two-year treatment of a case of marital abuse. Used psychoanalytic and family systems theory to understand the processes contributing to the emergence of violence. Documents resistances to total change. (Author/ABB)

The impact of family of origin (violent versus nonviolent) and level of stress on interpersonal conflict resolution skills in young adult men was examined. Results indicated that young adult men from nonviolent families of origin were able to constructively resolve significantly more conflict situations than were men from violent families of…

Administered Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) to 67 men expressing concerned about their violence in relationships. Results revealed MMPI profiles consistent with batterer's tendency to minimize and externalize blame for his violent behavior, feel inadequate and dissatisfied with himself, have low ego strength, be overly…

Fifty-three partner-abusive men, 45 maritally satisfied, and 32 maritally discordant, nonviolent men were evaluated for past history of head injury. Logistic regressions confirmed head injury was significant predictor of being a batterer. Implications of findings for both marital aggression and posthead injury rehabilitation are discussed. (Author)

The typology studies reviewed in the Holtzworth-Munroe and Meehan article make considerable methodological and substantive contributions to the field. There are several definitional, conceptual, and methodological advances that can be explored in this work. Macroframeworks such as the nested ecological model and the theory of triadic influence…

Although interpersonal violence is evident in all strata of society, every geographical area in the country, and across each gender, it takes courage to acknowledge our passivity about the phenomena, particularly when people of color are involved. Thus, the mass incarcerations of African American men and women and data citing the…

Empirical literature about same-gender domestic violence was relatively nonexistent until the past 20 years, and conducting research with this population about a sensitive topic remains a daunting endeavor. Existing studies reveal similarities between opposite- and same-gender domestic violence in prevalence, types of abuse, and various dynamics,…

With the goal of understanding the true extent of intimate partner violence (IPV), researchers have put tremendous effort over the past 20 years developing, revising, and assessing IPV screening instruments. The enhancements made in IPV instrumentation reflect our improved understanding of the nature of IPV. Unfortunately, as is often the case…

The current study assessed agreement within 273 treatment-seeking couples that reported on aggression in their relationship using the Conflict Tactics Scale-2 (CTS-2; M. A. Straus, S. L. Hamby, S. Boney-McCoy, & D. B. Sugarman, 1996), the dominant instrument for assessing violence among couples. Results revealed low-to-moderate levels of…