Top

Published in:

01-08-2008 | Original article

Intimate Partner Violence Victim and Perpetrator Characteristics Among Couples in the United States

Authors: Raul Caetano, Patrice A. C. Vaeth, Suhasini Ramisetty-Mikler

Published in: Journal of Family Violence | Issue 6/2008

Abstract

This paper describes the characteristics (sociodemographic, drinking and selected psychological attributes) of victims, perpetrators and those who engage in mutual intimate partner violence (IPV) among couples in the U.S. Subjects constitute a multistage area probability sample representative of married and cohabiting couples from the 48 contiguous United States. Results indicate that age is the only variable that appears to have a consistent effect for men and women and across violence-related statuses: Older individuals are less likely to be victims, perpetrators and less likely to be involved in mutually violent relationships. Other variables such as ethnicity, marital status, drinking, impulsivity, depression and powerlessness are either gender or status-specific in their ability to predict victimization, perpetration or victimization/perpetration. Overall, those involved in violent relationships do not appear to be very different from those not involved in violent relationships. The most likely reason for lack of this difference is the nature of IPV in general population samples, which is in most cases moderate.

Antonovsky, A. (1987). Unraveling the mystery of health: How people manage stress and stay well. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Antonovsky, A. (1993). The structure and properties of the Sense of Coherence Scale. Social Science and Medicine, 36, 725–733.PubMedCrossRef

Browne, A. (1987). When battered women kill. New York: Macmillan/Free.

Browne, A. (1993). Family violence and homelessness: The relevance of trauma histories in the lives of homeless women. American Journal Orthopsychiatry, 63, 370–384.CrossRef

Bumpass, L., James, S., & Andrew, C. (1991). The role of cohabitation in declining rates of marriage. Demography, 53, 913–927.

Caetano, R., & Cunradi, C. (2003). Intimate partner violence and depression among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics. Annals of Epidemiology, 13, 661–665.PubMedCrossRef

Caetano, R., Cunradi, C., Schafer, J., & Clark, C. (2000). Intimate partner violence and drinking patterns among white, black and Hispanic couples in the U.S. Journal of Substance Abuse, 11, 123–138.PubMedCrossRef

Caetano, R., Field, C. A., Ramisetty-Mikler, S., & McGrath, C. (2005a). The 5-year course of intimate partner violence among White, Black, and Hispanic couples in the United States. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20, 1038–1057.CrossRef

Caetano, R., McGrath, C., Ramisetty-Mikler, S., & Field, C. A. (2005b). Drinking, alcohol problems and the five-year recurrence and incidence of male to female and female to male partner violence. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 29, 98–106.CrossRef

Caetano, R., Ramisetty-Mikler, S., & Field, C. A. (2005c). Unidirectional and bidirectional intimate partner violence among White, Black, and Hispanic couples in the United States. Violence and Victims, 20, 393–406.PubMedCrossRef

Caetano, R., Nelson, S., & Cunradi, C. (2001). Intimate partner violence, dependence symptoms and social consequences from drinking among white, black and Hispanic couples in the United States. American Journal of Addiction, 10, 60–69.

Caetano, R., Ramisetty-Mikler, S., & McGrath, C. (2003). Characteristics of non-respondents in a U.S. national longitudinal survey on drinking and intimate partner violence. Addiction, 98, 791–797.PubMedCrossRef

Cazenave, N. A., & Straus, M. A. (1995). Race, class network embeddedness, and family violence: A search for potent support systems. In M. A. Straus, & R. J. Gelles (Eds.) Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations in violence in 8,145 families (pp. 321–335). New Brunswick: Transaction.

Cherpitel, C. J. (1993). Alcohol, injury and risk taking behavior: Data from a national sample. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 17, 762–766.CrossRef

Cunradi, C. B., Caetano, R., Clark, C. L., & Schafer, J. (1999). Alcohol-related problems and intimate partner violence among white, black and Hispanic couples in the U.S. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 23, 1492–1501.

Cunradi, C. B., Caetano, R., Clark, C. L., & Schafer, J. (2000). Neighborhood poverty as a predictor of intimate partner violence among White, Black, and Hispanic couples in the United States: A multilevel analysis. Annuals of Epidemiology, 10, 297–308.CrossRef

Cunradi, C. B., Caetano, R., & Schafer, J. (2002). Alcohol-related problems, drug use, and male intimate partner violence severity among US couples. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 26, 493–500.CrossRef

DeMaris, A. (2000). Till discord do us part: The role of physical and verbal conflict in union disruption. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 62, 683–692.CrossRef

DeMaris, A. (2001). The influence of intimate violence on transitions out of cohabitation. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 63, 235–246.CrossRef

Desai, S., Arias, I., Thompson, M. P., & Basile, K. C. (2002). Childhood victimization and subsequent adult revictimization assessed in a nationally representative sample of women and men. Violence and Victims, 17, 639–653.PubMedCrossRef

Dobash, R. E., & Dobash, R. P. (1980). Violence against wives: A case against the patriarchy. New York: Free.

Elliott, D. S., Huizinga, D., & Morse, B. J. (1985). The dynamics of delinquent behavior: A national survey progress report. Boulder: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado.

Eysenck, S. B., & Eysenck, H. J. (1977). The place of impulsiveness in a dimensional system of personality description. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 16, 57–68.PubMed

Gelles, R. J. (1972). The violent home: A study of physical aggression between husbands and wives. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Gelles, R. J., & Harrop, J. W. (1989). Violence, battering, and psychological distress among women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 4, 400–420.

Gondolf, E. W. (1995). Alcohol abuse, wife assault, and power needs. Social Service Review, 69, 274–284.CrossRef

Goodman, L. A., Koss, M. P., & Russo, N. F. (1993). Violence against women: Physical and mental health effects. Part I: Research findings. Applied & Preventive Psychology, 2, 79–89.CrossRef

Grisso, J. A., Schwarz, D. F., Miles, C. G., & Holmes, J. H. (1996). Injuries among inner-city minority women: A population-based longitudinal study. American Journal of Public Health, 86, 67–70.PubMed

Grisso, J. A., Wishner, A. R., Schwarz, D. F., Weene, B. A., Holmes, J. H., & Sutton, R. L. (1991). A population-based study of injuries in inner-city women. American Journal of Epidemiology, 134, 59–68.PubMed

Hamberger, L. K., & Hastings, J. E. (1991). Personality correlates of men who batter and nonviolent men: Some continuities and discontinuities. Journal of Family Violence, 6, 131–147.CrossRef

Hilberman, E. (1980). Overview: The “Wife-Beater’s Wife” reconsidered. American Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 1336–1346.PubMed

Hilberman, E., & Munson, K. (1977). Sixty battered women. Victimolgoy: An International Journal, 2, 460–470.

Hosmer, D. W., & Lemeshow, S. (1989). Applied logistic regression. New York: Wiley.

Hotaling, G. T., & Sugarman, D. B. (1986). An analysis of risk markers in husband to wife violence: The current state of knowledge. Violence and Victims, 1, 101–124.PubMed

Jackson, D. N. (1974). Jackson personality inventory manual. Goshen, NY: Psychologists.

Jasinski, J. L. (2001). Physical violence among Anglo, African American, and Hispanic couples: Ethnic differences in persistence and cessation. Violence and Victims, 16, 479–490.PubMed

Kellerman, A. L., & Mercy, J. A. (1992). Men, women and murder: Gender-specific differences in rates of fatal violence and victimization. Journal of Trauma, 33, 1–5.

Leonard, K. E., & Quigley, B. M. (1999). Drinking and marital aggression in newlyweds: An event-based analysis of drinking and the occurrence of husband marital aggression. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 60, 537–545.PubMed

Lipsky, S., Caetano, R., Field, C. A., & Bazargan, S. (2005a). The role of alcohol use and depression in intimate partner violence among black and Hispanic patients in an urban emergency department. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 31, 225–242.PubMedCrossRef

Lipsky, S., Field, C. A., Caetano, R., & Larkin, G. L. (2005b). Posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology and comorbid depressive symptoms among abused women referred from emergency department care. Violence and Victims, 20, 645–659.PubMedCrossRef

Miller, B., Downs, W. R., & Gondoli, D. M. (1989). Spousal violence among alcoholic women as compared to a random household sample of women. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 50, 533–539.PubMed

Miller, S. L., & Wellford, C. F. (1997). Patterns and correlates of interpersonal violence. In A. P. Cardarelli (Ed.) Violence between intimate partners: Patterns, causes, and effects (pp. 16–28). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Murphy, C., O’Farrell, T. J., Falls-Stewart, W., & Freehan, M. (2001). Correlates of intimate partner violence among male alcoholic patients. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 69, 528–540.PubMedCrossRef

O’Leary, K. D. (1993). Through a psychological lens: Personality traits, personality disorders and levels of violence. In R. J. Gelles, & D. R. Loseke (Eds.) Current controversies on family violence (pp. 7–30). London: Sage.

Plichta, S. B. (1996). Violence and abuse: Implications for women’s health. In M. F. Falik, & K. S. Collins (Eds.) Women’s health: The commonwealth fund survey. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Plutchik, R., & Van Praag, H. M. (1997). Suicide, impulsivity and antisocial behavior. In D. M. Stoff, & J. D. Maser (Eds.) Handbook of antisocial behavior (pp. 101–108). New York: Wiley.

Radloff, L. S. (1977). The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D): A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385–401.CrossRef

Ramisetty-Mikler, S., & Caetano, R. (2005). Alcohol use and intimate partner violence as predictors of separation among U.S. couples: A longitudinal model. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 66, 205–212.PubMed

Research Triangle Institute (2005). Software for survey data analysis (SUDAAN), Release 9.0.1. Research Triangle Park, NC: Research Triangle Institute.

Rounsaville, B., & Weissman, M. M. (1977). Battered women: A medical problem requiring detection. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 8, 191–202.PubMedCrossRef

Schafer, J., Caetano, R., & Clark, C. (1998). Rates of intimate partner violence in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 88, 1702–1704.PubMed

Schoen, R. (1992). First unions and the stability of first marriages. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 54, 281–284.CrossRef

Stark, E., & Flitcraft, A. (1988). Violence among intimates: An epidemiological review. In V. B. Van Hasselt, & R. L. Morrison (Eds.) Handbook of family violence (pp. 293–317). New York: Plenum Press.

Stets, J. E., & Straus, M. A. (1995). Gender differences in reporting of marital violence and its medical and psychological consequences. In M. A. Straus, & R. J. Gelles (Eds.) Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations in violence in 8,145 families (pp. 151–165). New Brunswick: Transaction.

Straus, M. A. (1990). Measuring intrafamily conflict and violence: The Conflict Tactics (CT) Scales. In M. A. Straus, & R. J. Gelles (Eds.) Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations to violence in 8,145 families (pp. 29–47). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.

Straus, M. A. (1995). The Conflict Tactics Scales and its critics: An evaluation and new data on validity and reliability. In M. A. Straus, & R. J. Gelles (Eds.) Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations in violence in 8,145 families (pp. 49–73). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.

Straus, M. A., & Gelles, R. J. (1995). How violent are American families? Estimates from the National Family Violence Resurvey and other studies. In M. A. Straus, & R. J. Gelles (Eds.) Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations in violence in 8,145 families (pp. 95–112). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.

Straus, M. A., Gelles, R. J., & Steinmetz, S. K. (1980). Behind closed doors: Violence in the American family. New York: Doubleday/Anchor.

Straus, M. A., & Kantor, G. K. (1994). Change in spouse assault rates from 1975 to 1992: A comparison of three national surveys in the United States. Paper presented at: 13th World Congress of Sociology, Bielefeld, Germany.

Straus, M. A., & Smith, C. (1995). Violence in Hispanic families in the United States: Incidence rates and structural interpretations. In M. A. Straus, & R. J. Gelles (Eds.) Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations to violence in 8,145 families (pp. 341–367). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.

Suitor, J. J., Pillemer, K., & Straus, M. A. (1995). Marital violence in a life course perspective. In M. A. Straus, & R. J. Gelles (Eds.) Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations in violence in 8,145 families (pp. 305–317). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.

Szinovacz, M. E., & Egley, L. (1995). Comparing one-partner and couple data on sensitive marital behaviors: The case of marital violence. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57, 995–1010.CrossRef

Testa, M., Livingston, J. A., Vanzile-Tamsen, C., & Frone, M. R. (2003). The role of women’s substance use in vulnerability to forcible and incapacitated rape. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 64, 756–764.PubMed

Tjaden, P., & Thoennes, N. (2000). Full report of the prevalence, incidence, and consequences of violence against women: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey. Research report, National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Washington, D.C.

Thomson, E., & Colella, U. (1992). Cohabitation and marital stability: Quality or commitment? Journal of Marriage and the Family, 54, 259–267.CrossRef

Thompson, M. P., Kingree, J. B., Sitterle, D. J., & Clay, G. (2005). Effects of alcohol use on disclosure of sexual victimization. Poster presented at the 28th annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, Santa Barbara, CA.

Umberson, D., Anderson, K., Glick, J., & Shapiro, A. (1998). Domestic violence, personal control, and gender. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 60, 442–452.CrossRef

Webster, C. D., & Jackson, M. A. (Eds.). (1997). Impulsivity: Theory, research, and practice. New York: Guiford.

White, H. R., & Chen, P. H. (2002). Problem drinking and intimate partner violence. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 63, 205–214.PubMed

Title: Intimate Partner Violence Victim and Perpetrator Characteristics Among Couples in the United States
Authors: Raul Caetano
Patrice A. C. Vaeth
Suhasini Ramisetty-Mikler
Publication date: 01-08-2008
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Family Violence / Issue 6/2008
Print ISSN: 0885-7482
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2851
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-008-9178-3

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Intimate Partner Violence Victim and Perpetrator Characteristics Among Couples in the United States

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 6/2008

Insecure Attachment Mediates Effects of Partners’ Emotional Abuse and Violence on Women’s Relationship Quality

Articulated Thoughts of Intimate Partner Abusive Men during Anger Arousal: Correlates with Personality Disorder Features

Intimate Partner Violence, Psychological Distress, and Suicidality: A Path Model Using Data from African American Women Seeking Care in an Urban Emergency Department

Parent–Child Interaction Therapy with Domestic Violence Populations

From Victim to Offender: The Effects of Male Initiated Violence on Women Arrested for Using Intimate Partner Violence

Gender-Role Implications on Same-Sex Intimate Partner Abuse