Predicting the use of conflict resolution tactics among engaged Arab-Palestinian men in Israel

This article reports one of the first studies of woman abuse in the Arab world. A standardized measurement package was completed by 434 engaged Arab-Palestinian men living in Israel. The study sought to explain men's differential use of conflict tactics with their fiancées using variables representing three frameworks: (1) male dominance, (2) intergenerational learning, and (3) interpersonal skills deficit. Results revealed that a combination of factors from disparate frameworks best explained the variance. Men who used reasoning in conflicts were less likely to have originated from families where they were exposed to violence, more likely to have egalitarian expectations from marriage, and more likely to be characterized as androgynous. Men who were verbally and physically aggressive toward their fiancées, were more likely to have come from homes where they were exposed to violence, were less likely to empathize with their fiancées, and more likely to hold negative and traditional attitudes toward women.     

Factors Mediating the Link Between Witnessing Interparental Violence and Dating Violence

The present study examined several protective and vulnerability factors in a subsample of adolescents who witnessed high levels of interparental violence to determine what factors differentiated adolescents who inflicted (and received) violence in their dating relationship and those who had violence-free dating relationships. Findings revealed that males who witnessed high levels of interparental violence, who inflicted violence in their dating relationships, were differentiated from those who had violence-free relationships by the following variables: low socioeconomic status, exposure to community and school violence, acceptance of violence in dating relationships, and low self-esteem. Low socioeconomic status and acceptance of violence in dating relationships differentiated males who experienced dating violence and those who had not. With regard to females, exposure to community and school violence, poor school performance, and experiencing child abuse differentiated those who inflicted dating violence from those who had not, while poor school performance and experiencing child abuse differentiated females who experienced dating violence and those who had not. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Wife Abuse in Hong Kong Chinese Families: A Community Survey

The present study aimed to explore the extent and pattern of wife abuse in Hong Kong Chinese families. The sample included 1,132 married women aged 18 or older randomly selected from the community. Results showed that 67.2% of the surveyed women reported at least one incident of verbal abuse, and 10% experienced at least one incident of physical abuse by their husbands during the surveyed year. Husband-to-wife minor physical violence was almost seven times more than husband-to-wife severe physical violence (9.8% vs 1.4%). Couples' age and their age differences were related to physical wife abuse but not verbal wife abuse. Specifically, physical wife abuse in the form of minor violence occurred most frequently among married men and women aged 30 or below; and both minor and severe physical violence to wife was found most frequently among couples whose ages were more than 20 years apart. Couples' education level, differences in education, occupation, family income, and number of children were not related to various forms of wife abuse; whereas the length of marriage and marital satisfaction were significant correlates of wife abuse. Results were discussed with regard to relevant local and Western studies.     

The Direct and Indirect Effects of Domestic Violence on Young Children's Intellectual Functioning

This study examined the direct and indirect effects of domestic violence on preschoolers' intellectual functioning. The sample consisted of 100 women and their 3–5-year-old children (44 boys and 56 girls) recruited from the general community. Forty-three percent of mothers had experienced domestic violence within the last year, defined by at least one physically aggressive act by an intimate partner. Children who had witnessed domestic violence had significantly poorer verbal abilities than nonwitnesses after controlling for SES and child abuse, but there were no group differences on visual–spatial abilities. Domestic violence also indirectly affected both types of intellectual abilities through its impact on maternal depression and the intellectual quality of the home environment. Strengths and limitations of the study are discussed, as well as the implications for interventions for young child witnesses.     

The Incidence of Wife Abuse and Battering and Some Sociodemographic Correlates as Revealed by Two National Surveys in Palestinian Society

Over the past 3 decades, wife abuse and battering has become a major concern throughout the world. However, there is a serious dearth of empirical knowledge about different dimensions of the problem in the Arab world. This article documents the incidence of different patterns of abuse and battering as revealed in two national surveys conducted among Palestinian women from the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Systematic random samples of 2,410 women and 1,334 women participated in the first and second surveys, respectively. The annual incidence of psychological, sexual, and economic abuse as well as physical violence are presented, and some of their sociodemographic correlates are discussed in relation to each of the two surveys. The limitations of the two surveys and implications of their results for future research and theory development are also discussed.     

Under the radar: policing non-violent domestic abuse in the US and UK

Physical violence is but one of many tools that may be used to gain greater power within intimate relationships, yet the legal response has been critiqued for failing to recognise and respond to the full spectrum of abusive behaviours, such as coercive control. Using a sample of police officers from the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK), the current study utilises hypothetical vignettes to assess police officers’ perceptions of domestic abuse, including those incidents that are not necessarily physically violent, but involve stalking and other coercive, controlling behaviours that are harmful and require intervention. Within- and between-country similarities and differences were analysed. Findings revealed that the majority of officers in both countries possessed a good level of understanding of domestic abuse and how they should respond to it – amidst and beyond the physical violence. However, our analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data also showed that the use of physical violence is at the forefront of many officers’ expectations about domestic abuse, and that when physical violence is absent, the police response is less proactive. Our study finds some support for the idea that non-physical abuse does go “under the radar” to some extent for some officers, and that this is more the case for American officers than their British counterparts. Findings are discussed in terms of context of the research sites and implications for policy, practice and future research.     

Predictive validity of the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) during residential treatment

This prospective study examines the predictive validity of the Dutch version of the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) by examining relationships between SAVRY scores and various types of disruptive behavior during residential treatment. The SAVRY, a risk assessment instrument, was coded for 66 male adolescents on the basis of file information and interviews. The adolescents were referred to Rentray, a juvenile correctional and treatment facility, by the Dutch juvenile courts because of severe behavioral problems or serious offenses. Institutional infractions were retrieved from incident registration files, which included acts of physical violence, verbal threat, verbal abuse, and violation of institutional rules. The interrater reliability of the SAVRY scores was good. The predictive validity of the SAVRY for physical violence against persons was excellent (Risk Total: AUC=.80, r =.33; Summery Risk Rating: AUC =.86, r =.48). The SAVRY also had good predictive validity for violence against objects, verbal threats and violations of rules, but not for verbal abuse. Implications for assessment and management of violent behavior among adolescents in residential treatment are discussed.     

Drug Abuse and Partner Violence among Women in Methadone Treatment

This study aims to (1) describe rates of lifetime and current partner abuse among women on methadone; (2) examine the relationship between partner violence and demographics, substance abuse, and drug risk behaviors; and (3) explore the association between a victim's current use of crack/cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and drug risk behavior after controlling for demographics, household composition, history of victimization and sex trading. Approximately three-fourths of the women ever experienced physical, sexual, or life-threatening abuse and slightly less than one-third experienced at least one type of abuse during the previous year. A history of childhood victimization was reported by more than half of the women and one-third witnessed her mother being abused. Risk of partner violence was associated with victim's current drug and alcohol use, visiting shooting galleries, and living with someone with drug or alcohol problems. The study discusses the implications of the findings for research and intervention.     

The Nature and Correlates of Dating Violence among Jewish and Arab Youths in Israel

The objectives of this research were to assess the prevalence and severity of dating violence among Jewish and Arab, male and female Israeli youths, to examine the sociodemographic variables related to dating violence among Israeli adolescents, and to assess whether the variables correlated with dating violence differ among Jewish and Arab, male and female youths. The random sample consisted of 1357 students (640 Jewish and 717 Arab youths). We used five types of dating violence measures: threatening, relational, physical, sexual, and verbal abuse. The principal finding is that dating violence is very high among Israeli youths, especially among Arabs. Males show higher mean scores of dating violence, but females are involved in every type of dating violence. The discussion attempts to explain the differences between the two cultures and genders, and considers the theoretical and practical implications of the results.     

Long-Term Effects of Witnessing Marital Violence for Women: The Contribution of Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse

A sample of 313 college women completed a questionnaire about experiences with violence in childhood and adulthood and adult adjustment and relationship functioning. Nine percent of the women reported having witnessed some type of physical conflict between their parents. Witnessing marital violence was associated with other family mental health risks, childhood physical and sexual abuse, and adult physical assaults by strangers. Women who witnessed marital violence reported more symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder than other women, after family background and abuse variables were accounted for. Significant interactions between witnessing marital violence and childhood physical abuse were observed for measures of social avoidance and predictability in partner relationships, indicating that the effects of witnessing marital violence depended on the presence of childhood abuse. Implications of these results for research and interventions are discussed.     

Sibling violence and agonistic interactions experienced by early adolescents

Negative physical and verbal interactions occurring between early adolescents and their closest-spaced sibling were examined. Two hundred forty-four junior high school students provided information concerning their experiences as victims and perpetrators of aggressive and agonistic behaviors. Results confirm earlier studies' findings that siblings engage in numerous hostile interactions and that females and males perform these behaviors to an almost equal extent. Participants' self-reports suggest that parents may underestimate sibling use of physical force to resolve conflicts. Findings indicate there is further need to examine sibling interactions in order to better understand family functioning and family violence.     

Co-Occurrence of Interparental Violence and Child Physical Abuse and It’s Effect on the Adolescents’ Behavior

This study analyzed the impact of the co-occurrence of parental and interparental violence on the behavior of adolescents. Results reveal that the co-occurrence of interparental violence and child physical abuse has a significantly greater negative impact on behavior than does exposure to interparental violence only. Moreover, participants, who are both abused and exposed to interparental violence, exhibit internalized and externalized symptoms falling within the clinical range more frequently. Exposure exclusively to interparental violence also has definite impact; for example, teens who are only exposed to interparental violence exhibit internalized and externalized symptoms more frequently than do those who have been neither subject to physical abuse from a parent nor exposed to interparental violence. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Family violence and depressive symptomatology among incarcerated women

This study examines the potential association between witnessing parental violence as a child and later adult depressive symptomatology within a population that has received limited attention in the scientific literature, namely, incarcerated women. The Conflict Tactics Scale and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale were administered to 60 women incarcerated in a maximum security prison in North Carolina. A majority of the women reported that they had witnessed verbally aggressive or physically violent interactions among the adult members in their families. Seventy percent of these women suffered from clinically relevant levels of depressive symptomatology. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed that increasing levels of reasoning conflict resolution strategies used in the women's families of origin were associated with decreasing levels of depressive symptomatology of the women, whereas increasing levels of physically violent conflict resolution strategies were associated with increasing levels of depressive symptomatology.     

Violent backgrounds of economically disadvantaged youth: Risk factors for perpetrating violence?

Adolescent Job Corps residents (n=474) reported the violence they had experienced, witnessed, and perpetrated with regards to parents, siblings, friends, and strangers. Results indicated that there was a high prevalence of all types of violence in this atrisk adolescent sample. Moreover, the majority of adolescents who reported violent experiences indicated threat or use of a weapon was involved. Gender differences were obtained such that boys reported perpetrating more aggression against friends and strangers than girls. Girls reported witnessing more parental aggression than boys. No gender differences in parental victimization rates were obtained. Contrary to prediction, parental victimization did not significantly predict perpetration towards siblings, friends, or strangers for either gender. However, parental victimization did predict increased violence towards parents. Surprisingly, for females especially, witnessing parental violence reduced the likelihood of violence towards parents. These findings support the need to include conflict resolution skills as a component of Job Corps training.     

Social Support Choices for Help with Abusive Relationships: Perceptions of African American Women

A recent national telephone study of the African American community found that over 90% of respondents would feel comfortable talking to a family member or friend who was being abused about the abuse, with the majority advising she get help from a domestic violence program. The purpose of this study was to understand how comfortable abused women would feel talking to members of her support system about the abuse and how comfortable women who have not experienced partner abuse would feel if they were abused. Over 70% of women who have experienced abuse reported at least some comfort getting assistance for abuse from a friend, clergy/spiritual leader, Black community member, family member their age, or physician. Women who reported never experiencing physical or sexual partner violence were less likely to perceive feeling comfortable getting assistance from their social support systems (both formal and informal) if they were abused. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

Is Domestic Violence Learned? The Contribution of Five Forms of Child Maltreatment to Men's Violence and Adjustment

On the basis of a learning-theory approach to the intergenerational transmission of violence, researchers have focused almost exclusively on violent men's childhood experiences of physical abuse and witnessing family violence. Little consideration has been given to the coexistence of other forms of child maltreatment or the role of family dysfunction in contributing to violence. This study shows the relationships between the level of child maltreatment (physical abuse, psychological maltreatment, sexual abuse, neglect, and witnessing family violence), childhood family characteristics, current alcohol abuse, trauma symptomatology, and the level of physical and psychological spouse abuse perpetrated by 36 men with a history of perpetrating domestic violence who had attended counseling. As hypothesized, a high degree of overlap between risk factors was found. Child maltreatment, low family cohesion and adaptability, and alcohol abuse was significantly associated with frequency of physical spouse abuse and trauma symptomatology scores, but not psychological spouse abuse. Rather than physical abuse or witnessing family violence, childhood neglect uniquely predicted the level of physical spouse abuse. Witnessing family violence (but not physical abuse) was found to have a unique association with psychological spouse abuse and trauma symptomatology. These results present a challenge to the understanding of domestic violence obtained from learning theory.     

Work-Home Conflict and Domestic Violence: A Test of a Conceptual Model

The relationship between work-home conflict and domestic violence is examined using data from 295 adults, who worked full time and were in serious relationships. Job satisfaction, gender, gender role attitudes, type of employment, and socioeconomic status were examined as predictors of work-family conflict. Backward stepwise regression analysis revealed that job satisfaction was the only predictor of work-home conflict. Regression analyses were again conducted to determine the moderating effects of general well-being, alcohol use, family of origin violence witnessed or experienced, communication skills, and social support on the relationship between work-home conflict and domestic violence. Both family of origin violence witnessed and personally experienced were revealed as moderators of this relationship. The remaining potential moderators were submitted to regression analyses to determine if they might, instead, be mediators. These analyses revealed that negative communication skills and social support mediated the relationship between work-home conflict and domestic violence.     

The role of adolescent physical abuse in adult intimate partner violence

This study's primary aims were to examine whether a sample of young adults, aged 23 to 31, who had been documented as physically abused by their parent(s) during adolescence would be more likely to aggress, both physically and verbally, against their intimate partners compared with nonabused young adults and whether abuse history was (along with other risk factors) a significant predictor of intimate partner physical and emotional violence perpetration or victimization. In this longitudinal study, 67 abused and 78 nonabused adults (of an original sample of 198 adolescents) completed the Modified Conflict Tactics Scale and the Jealousy and Emotional Control Scales. Nonabused comparison adolescents were matched for age, gender, and community income. As adults, participants with abuse histories had significantly higher rates of intimate partner physical violence and verbal aggression than did comparison participants. Multivariate logistic regressions indicated that adults with histories of physical abuse were more than twice as likely to be physically violent and almost six times more likely to be verbally aggressive to their intimate partners than were comparison participants. Having had an alcohol use disorder, being married to or living with a partner, and perceiving one's partner as controlling were also significantly associated with physical violence. Jealousy and feeling controlled by one's partner were also significant predictors of verbal aggression. These findings underscore the importance of preventing adolescent abuse as a means of decreasing the incidence of intimate partner physical violence in adulthood.     

Effects of Parental Substance Abuse on Current Levels of Domestic Violence: A Possible Elaboration of Intergenerational Transmission Processes

Research conducted on the intergenerational transmission of domestic violence has framed much of its inquiry from within the context of social learning theory. Although consistently significant, the effect size of social learning-derived intergenerational transmission variables is often small. This study was undertaken in an effort to broaden the theoretical basis of intergenerational transmission of family violence by assessing if incorporating parental substance abuse variables with exposure to violence in family of origin would increase the predictive power of a multiple regression model. Subjects (N = 74) were men in treatment for domestic violence. Paternal substance abuse was found to exert effects on respondents' violent behavior comparable to those from exposure to family of origin violence. Findings supported a need to broaden theoretical views of the etiology of domestic violence perpetration.     

Cognitive and interpersonal factors in woman abuse

As part of a larger ecological analysis of woman battering in Israel, this study examined the combined ability of selected cognitive and interpersonal measures to differentiate among couples in which women were battered and those in which they were not. The ability of these variables to predict men's physical violence and verbal abuse and women's verbal abuse was also executed. Results indicate that a combination of low marital adjustment, high levels of conflict over children, and more perceived self-control over one's life characterized violent men; low marital adjustment and high conflict over child rearing characterized battered women. Both men's and women's verbal abuse was moderately predicted by lower marital adjustment while men's physical violence was predicted by increased levels of conflicts with his partner over child rearing. These findings suggest the importance of marital relationship factors in domestic violence and highlight the need for further study of the interaction between perceived control and marital relationship problems in relationships where men physically abuse women.