The Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders in a Community Sample of Female Victims of Intimate Partner Violence.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious, devastating, and prevalent problem. IPV places women at risk for negative health consequences, including increased mental health disorders. The majority of research to date has focused on mental health disorders among women in domestic violence shelters, and research is needed that examines mental health disorders among a broader range of women experiencing IPV.

Antisociality and intimate partner violence: the facilitating role of shame.

Numerous theories classify distinct subtypes of men who perpetrate violence against female partners. These theories contend that a large portion of these men possess antisocial characteristics that may increase risk for violence. Affectively, these men have been found to externalize their emotions, including shame and guilt, and it has been suggested that this process contributes to the perpetration of partner violence.

Gender differences in depression and anxiety among victims of intimate partner violence: the moderating effect of shame proneness.

The current study examined the moderating role of shame proneness on the association between physical, psychological, and sexual intimate partner violence victimization and depressive and anxious symptoms among male and female college students (N = 967). Students completed self-report measures of dating violence, depression, anxiety, and shame proneness. Results showed that shame proneness moderated the association between all forms of victimization and mental health symptoms.

The role of female behavior and attributions in predicting behavioral responses to hypothetical male aggression.

Research suggests that situational characteristics influence attributions for violent events. The present study examined the effect of confrontational female behavior on women's positive and negative attributions for their boyfriends' abusive behavior and the influence of confrontational behavior and attributions on intentions to remain involved with those partners. College women (N = 293) read descriptions of scenes that involved dating conflict and provided attribution ratings and stay/leave intentions.

The effects of PTSD symptomatology on laboratory-based aggression.

The present study sought to examine the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and aggression using a highly controlled, quasi-experimental laboratory-based aggression paradigm among a sample of 85 undergraduate students not help-seeking for current PTSD phenomena. Congruent with theory and past research, results showed that PTSD symptomatology was positively associated with aggression. In demonstrating this effect using a laboratory-based methodology, the present study provides a heuristic for future researchers to explore potential mediators and moderators of the PTSD-aggression relationship.

Examining the interface between substance misuse and intimate partner violence.

There is considerable theoretical and empirical support for a link between substance misuse and perpetration and victimization of intimate partner violence. This review briefly summarizes this literature and highlights current research that addresses the interface between treatment for substance abuse and intimate partner violence. Suggestions for future research and clinical implications are provided.

The case for mindfulness-based approaches in the cultivation of empathy: does nonjudgmental, present-moment awareness increase capacity for perspective-taking and empathic concern?

Empathic responding, most notably perspective-taking and empathic concern, has important implications for interpersonal functioning. While empathy training approaches have received some support for a variety of populations, few extant interventions have targeted empathic responding in couples. Mindfulness- and acceptance-based behavioral approaches, for couples as a unit and/or for individual family members/partners, are proposed as an adjunct to empathy training interventions.

Drug abuse and aggression between intimate partners: a meta-analytic review.

The present investigation employed meta-analytic procedures to quantitatively evaluate the empirical evidence on the relationship between drug abuse and aggression between intimate partners. Data from 96 studies yielding 547 effect sizes indicated that increases in drug use and drug-related problems were significantly associated with increases in aggression between intimate partners (d= .27).

A critical review of theories to explain violent relationship termination: implications for research and intervention.

The following review represents an update and extension to an influential article (see [Strube, M.J. (1988).

The impact of intimate partner violence on decisions to leave dating relationships: a test of the investment model.

This study explored the impact of violence exposure on investment-model constructs within a sample of college women involved in heterosexual dating relationships. Results generally supported the "common sense" hypothesis, suggesting that violence negatively impacts satisfaction for and commitment to one's relationship and is positively associated with intentions to leave. Exposure to psychological abuse uniquely impacted intentions to leave relationships above and beyond other model factors, suggesting that this may be a particularly important factor in determining college women's decisions.

Where to publish family violence research?

Family violence researchers must weigh numerous factors in deciding where to submit their work for publication. The purpose of the present study is to provide a useful guide for family violence researchers to make informed decisions about publishing their manuscripts. Through an extensive computerized literature search, 22 English-language specialty and non-specialty journals that frequently publish articles on family violence were identified.

Reflections on partner violence: 20 years of research and beyond.

The authors reflect on past research and technology as well as their hopes for future innovations within the field of intimate partner violence. They review work that has contributed to current conceptual definitions of partner violence, particularly those that have shaped the field's broadened perspective. They discuss technological and measurement innovations that have contributed to more accurate assessments of violence prevalence.