Classes of Intimate Partner Violence From Late Adolescence to Young Adulthood

The influence of pre-college behaviors and parenting practices on alcohol misuse, sexual risk-taking, and adverse outcomes among first-year college women

OBJECTIVE

Although numerous reports document college students' risk-taking behaviors, few examine these behaviors in a developmental context. The purpose of this study was to examine female freshmen college students' pre-college experiences and parenting influences on first semester experiences with alcohol misuse, sexual risk-taking, and adverse outcomes, including violence.

METHODS

We surveyed 229 female freshman residential college students at the end of their first semester in college.

RESULTS

Participants who drank frequently in high school were more likely to binge drink in college and regret doing something while drinking. Mother-daughter closeness and parental discussions of sexual risks, personal safety and danger avoidance were associated with a reduced likelihood of regretting doing something while drinking, experiencing sexual violence, and having sex without a condom. Parental provision of alcohol was associated with alcohol misuse.

CONCLUSION

These findings provide a life course perspective on the development of risk behaviors and adverse outcomes during emerging adulthood.

The Boomerang Effect of Suppression of Emotional Expression: Relationship Power, Affectivity and Adolescent and Youth Male-To-Female Dating Violence

Scarce research has been performed on the role of power, affectivity, and suppression of emotional expression in the use of dating violence by adolescents and young men. This study aims to analyze a model of the associations between perceived power (control and dominance), affectivity (positive and negative affect), suppression of emotional expression and the frequency of use of male-to female dating violence. Participants in this cross-sectional and correlational study were 786 Spanish students aged between 13 and 25 years (M = 18.80; SD = 2.93) divided in two groups: 13-18 (316 adolescents, M = 15.58; SD = 1.02) and 18-25 (462 young men, M = 20.79; SD = 1.98) with 8 participants not stating their age. Different sequential mediation models confirmed that, only in young men, affectivity (negative and positive affect) and suppression of emotional expression mediate the relationship between power and the use of dating violence. Fostering equal relationships, associating them with positive emotional states, avoiding the frustration derived from low power perception, and providing young men with strategies for appropriately expressing their emotions may help decrease the use of dating violence.

Patterns of Women's exposure to psychological violence: A global examination of low- and middle-income countries

Introduction

Under Sustainable Development Goal 5, prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) is a globally reportable indicator. There is a lack of consensus on how to measure and report psychological IPV, affecting prevalence estimates and cross-country comparability. We examine similarities and differences in the patterning of women's experiences of psychological abuse in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to inform common cut points.

Methods

Data include 13,452 ever-partnered women from six LMICs participating in the WHO multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence against women and 306,101 from 47 LMICs participating in the Demographic and Health Surveys. A confirmatory latent class analysis (LCA) approach was applied to identify the optimal class structure using the 3 DHS and 4 WHO psychological IPV items, assessed the impact of physical and sexual IPV on class structure, and tested class generalizability across countries. We validated the three-class solution by regressing the classes on physical IPV, sexual IPV, controlling behaviors, and injury due to domestic violence. We used item response theory (IRT) methods to assess item-level characteristics of the items.

Results

Analysis confirmed the three-class structure in most countries. Addition of physical and sexual IPV did not change overall class structure or improve discrimination or homogeneity of the items. The three-class structure was invariant within most WHO-classified regions. Operationalized classes informed by the LCA resulted in prevalences of roughly 90% low-to-no class, 7% moderate-intensity class, and 3% high-intensity class. Classes showed convergent validity with all outcomes tested. IRT analysis revealed good discriminations but substantial information overlaps over a narrow range of the latent psychological violence construct.

Conclusions

This study confirms the three-class pattern but suggests some differences across countries. and regions. We suggest cut points distinguishing violent from non-violent acts and demarcating levels of severity for future study. Findings offer evidence-based guidance to rectify challenges.

A Latent Profile Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrated by Men Seeking Help

Past research has emphasized the need to identify profiles of men who perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV) as a way to better understand this heterogeneous population and guide the development of tailored services. However, empirical validation for such profiles remains limited, since it still focuses on specific populations or fails to consider IPV as reported by men seeking treatment for IPV. We know little about the profiles of men who seek services for their use of IPV (with or without a justice referral). This study sought to identify profiles of men seeking treatment for IPV, based on their self-reported use of the various forms and severity of IPV perpetrated, and to compare the identified groups on key psychosocial risk markers of IPV. A total of 980 Canadian men entering treatment in community organizations specialized in IPV answered a series of questionnaires. A latent profile analysis identified four profiles: (a) "no/minor IPV" (n = 194), (b) "severe IPV with sexual coercion" (n = 122), (c) "minor IPV and control" (n = 471), and (d) "severe IPV without sexual coercion" (n = 193). Results revealed differences in psychosocial risk markers, including attachment insecurities, childhood interpersonal trauma, undesirable personality traits, affect dysregulation, and psychological distress, mostly between the "severe IPV without sexual coercion" profile and the "no/minor IPV" and "minor IPV and control" profiles. Very few differences were found, however, between the "severe IPV with sexual coercion" and "severe IPV without sexual coercion" profiles. Implications for awareness, prevention, and treatment efforts for each profile are discussed.

Stability and Change in Men's Intimate Partner Violence and Substance Use in Early Adulthood

Despite substantial evidence of the role of substance use in intimate partner violence (IPV), little is known about the impact of substance use on stability and change in the experience of IPV as both a perpetrator and a victim. Using an ethnically diverse sample of 232 men in early adulthood (mean age = 29.1, SD = 0.91), this study defined typologies of IPV based on men's reports of both perpetration and victimization; examined the potential impact of substance use, including alcohol and marijuana use, on IPV typologies over two measurement occasions; and quantified stability and change in these typologies over time. Patterns of IPV were characterized by three classes at each time point: no IPV, psychological aggression, and physical aggression. Men's regular marijuana use was associated with physical aggression contemporaneously and prospectively. Partner's problem alcohol use was associated with psychological aggression contemporaneously, suggesting that women's problem alcohol use could be a risk factor for their own and their partner's IPV perpetration. IPV appeared to remain somewhat stable over time with 67% of men remaining in the same IPV class. Among those who did transition from one typology to another, it was most often to a less severe IPV typology. Regular marijuana users were more likely to be in the physical aggression typology rather than the no IPV typology, with a higher probability of transitioning to a more severe IPV typology than nonusers. The present study has implications for prevention and intervention efforts by its ability to identify men who are at greatest risk for continued or increased violence and underscores that men's marijuana use may exacerbate IPV.

General Offending and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration in Young Adulthood: A Dutch Longitudinal Study

This study examines the relationship between general offending and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in young adulthood, using a Dutch longitudinal study. Young adults were followed over four waves, and self-reported data on general offending, IPV perpetration, and a number of individual characteristics were collected. Results of random effects models demonstrated that young adults involved in more diverse offending behavior reported higher levels of different types of IPV perpetration, even when individual factors were taken into account. Moreover, logistic regression analyses showed that general offending was also related to an increased likelihood of continuity in IPV perpetration. Taken together, the findings indicate that it is useful to view IPV perpetration as part of a broader criminal career.

Changing Patterns of Intimate Partner Violence against Pregnant Women: A Three-Year Longitudinal Study

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against pregnant women adversely impacts women's and infants' health. This study aims to provide longitudinal evidence regarding how pregnant women's exposure to IPV changes over time. Additionally, we examine the risk and protective factors associated with these changes. In total, 340 pregnant women were recruited from an antenatal clinic in Hong Kong. IPV experiences and health conditions were assessed at pregnancy and at both 4 weeks and 3 years after childbirth. The women also reported adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), their family support, and perceived partner involvement. We found IPV prevalence among the study sample decreased from 22.9% before pregnancy to 13.5% during pregnancy, 14.7% at 4 weeks after childbirth, and 11.8% at 3 years after childbirth. We further found three types of IPV: 11.8% of women had a violent relationship (VR) persistently over time from pregnancy to 3 years after childbirth, 20.6% experienced decreased IPV (DVR), and 67.6% reported a nonviolent relationship (NVR) throughout the study period. VRs were associated with more severe mental health problems and higher ACEs. Family support and partner involvement may be protective factors for decreased IPV. Our present findings highlight the importance of identifying different IPV types over time to provide targeted intervention to the most vulnerable groups.

Violence in Dating Relationships: Validation of the CADRI Questionnaire in a Young Adult Population

Dating violence in the young adult population is reaching alarming levels. However, the instruments used to measure it and their results are still heterogeneous. The main aim of this study was to validate the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory questionnaire for a young adult Spanish university population aged between 19 and 25 years old, and to describe the types of violence perpetrated and suffered.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. A validity analysis was carried out through a confirmatory factor analysis. The relative frequencies for each type of violence and the Chi2 test for two dichotomous variables were used to describe the different types of violence perpetrated and suffered.

RESULTS

The sample consisted of 976 young adults aged 19-25 years old (M = 21.7 years. SD = 1.8). The confirmatory factor analysis had an adequate structure and a good fit to the model. The types of violence perpetrated and suffered were described according to the sex of the participants, with significant differences found for verbal-emotional violence and physical violence exerted.

CONCLUSIONS

The confirmatory factor analysis allowed us to consider the application of the questionnaire to be correct for the study population.

Early Childhood Predictors of Teen Dating Violence Involvement at Age 17

The distal relationship between risk factors in childhood and subsequent dating violence in late adolescence has not often been explored using longitudinal data. This study aims to shed light on the problem of dating violence by examining children’s backgrounds at age 7 and the link to the future involvement in dating violence at age 17 using the first and seventh waves of the Zurich Project on the Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood (z-proso, n = 644). The sample consists of 644 multiethnic adolescents (57.14% female, M = 17.47, SD = 0.37), mainly Swiss-born (90%), though more than half of their parents (60%) were born in another country. A latent class analysis was applied to identify three different profiles (a) zero (or minimal) involvement in teen dating violence, (b) perpetrators/victims of controlling behaviors, and (c) perpetrators/victims of controlling behaviors and of physical violence. Participants who were corporally punished and/or victims of bullying at age 7 were significantly more likely to belong to the controlling and physical violence profile than children in the non-violent class. These results suggest a certain chronicity of the effects of violent experiences in early childhood on the patterns of romantic relationships at 17 years old.

Child Maltreatment, Youth Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, and Elder Mistreatment: A Review and Theoretical Analysis of Research on Violence Across the Life Course

This article reports the results of a scoping review of the literature on life-course patterns of violence that span the developmental periods of childhood, adolescence, and early and middle adulthood. We also assess the evidence on elder mistreatment and its relation to earlier forms of violence. Additionally, we draw on theories and empirical studies to help explain the transmission of violence over time and relational contexts and the factors that appear to mitigate risks and promote resilience in individuals exposed to violence. Results suggest that encounters with violence beginning in childhood elevate the risk for violence in subsequent developmental periods. The strongest connections are between child maltreatment (physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect) and violence in adolescence and between violence in adolescence and violence in early and middle adulthood. Persistence of violence into older adulthood leading to elder mistreatment is less well-documented, but probable, based on available research. We conclude that more attention should be paid to studying developmental patterns and intersecting forms of violence that extend into old age. To eradicate violence in all its forms, considerably more must be done to increase awareness of the repetition of violence; to connect research to actionable steps for prevention and intervention across the life course; and to better integrate systems that serve vulnerable children, youth, and adults. Primary prevention is essential to breaking the cycle of violence within families and to alleviating the risks to children caused by poverty and other external factors such as social disconnection within communities.

Predicting Patterns of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration From Late Adolescence to Young Adulthood

Saint-Eloi Cadely et al. found longitudinal patterns for the perpetration of both psychological and physical intimate partner violence (IPV), including actively and minimally aggressive patterns. The current study builds on these findings by examining four theory-derived variables (interparental aggression, social-information processing [SIP] biases, relationship insecurities [preoccupied and fearful], and discontinuity in relationship partner over time) as predictors of membership within these patterns, using multinomial logistic regression. The analysis sample consisted of 484 participants who were romantically involved at least once during the eight waves of data collection from the ages of 18 to 25. In predicting psychological IPV, more SIP biases, higher levels of a preoccupied insecurity, and less discontinuity in relationship partners over time differentiated the actively aggressive patterns from the minimally aggressive pattern. In addition, two actively aggressive patterns of psychological IPV differed in terms of SIP biases and discontinuity in romantic partners. Specifically, more SIP biases and less discontinuity in romantic partnerships distinguished the extensively aggressive pattern from the pattern that mainly consisted of minor types of aggression. In predicting physical IPV, the aggressive pattern differed from the nonaggressive pattern in terms of more interparental aggression, more SIP biases, and more relationship insecurities. The findings that developmental patterns of IPV can be predicted by social and psychological factors may aid both developmental theory and practice.

Measuring Teen Dating Violence Perpetration: A Comparison of Cumulative and Single Assessment Procedures

OBJECTIVE

There are concerns about the measurement of teen dating violence (TDV) perpetration. The current study compares data on TDV perpetration derived from a cumulative assessment procedure and a single assessment procedure. The prevalence and frequency of TDV perpetration are examined, as well as their associations with hypothesized precursors of TDV.

METHOD

A sample of court-referred adolescents (n = 147, M_age = 15.85) completed a baseline assessment that included measures of three hypothesized precursors to TDV: externalizing problems, exposure to community violence, and attitudes about dating violence. For the cumulative assessment procedure, adolescents then completed up to 6 phone interviews on their TDV perpetration (physical, sexual, and emotional), once every 2 weeks over the course of a 3-month period. Data from these interviews were aggregated to form a cumulative measure of TDV perpetration over the 3 months. For the single assessment procedure, adolescents completed an identical interview on their TDV perpetration in a lab assessment 3 months after baseline, but were asked about perpetration over the entire 3 months.

RESULTS

Results of within-subjects comparisons indicated that, compared to the single assessment procedure, the cumulative assessment procedure yielded higher prevalence and greater frequency of physical, sexual, and emotional TDV. Across analytic methods, all types of TDV perpetration were more strongly related to externalizing problems, and sexual TDV perpetration was more strongly related to exposure to community violence, when measured cumulatively.

CONCLUSIONS

Cumulative assessment procedures might provide a more sensitive and valid measurement of TDV perpetration than single assessment procedures.

Prevalence and Risk Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence Among a Multisite Cohort of Young Transgender Women

PURPOSE

Young transgender women (YTW) may experience disparate rates and distinct forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) in comparison with cisgender individuals. YTW also may experience high rates of minority stressors, including transgender-related victimization, discrimination, and mistreatment related to their gender identity and/or expression. The present study examined the prevalence and risk correlates of IPV among a sample of YTW.

METHODS

Participants were a racially and ethnically diverse sample of 204 YTW ages 16-29 years from Chicago, Illinois and Boston, Massachusetts. Participants completed assessments of IPV, childhood abuse, and experiences with minority stressors, including transgender-related victimization and discrimination.

RESULTS

Prevalence of IPV was high among this sample (42%), including experiencing distinct forms of IPV that were related to gender identity. Experiencing stressors was also high among this sample, including experiencing childhood abuse and minority stressors (i.e., transgender-related victimization and day-to-day unfair treatment and discrimination), all of which were associated with a greater risk for IPV.

CONCLUSION

Our findings support the need for researchers to continue to examine the risk correlates of IPV among transgender individuals and to examine how the relationship between IPV and minority stressors may relate to coping strategies and mental health outcomes. Our findings have important implications for domestic violence service providers and other health professionals and highlight that providers should be trained to support survivors with histories of abuse and victimization related to gender identity and/or expression.