Alcohol and Marital Aggression in a National Sample of Young Men

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between alcohol and individual difference factors on one hand and marital aggression on the other hand. Subjects were 320 married and cohabiting men who participated in a nationally representative study of alcohol consumption in young men. Subjects completed scales assessing hostility, self-consciousness, and marital satisfaction, and the Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS). They also answered two questions concerning marital aggression: whether they had ever hit their spouse while drinking or hit their spouse while sober. The results indicated that alcohol use was strongly related to marital aggression. Furthermore, scores on the ADS interacted with hostility and marital satisfaction to predict marital aggression, with ADS scores related to marital aggression among men who scored high on hostility or low on marital satisfaction.

Social Disadvantage and Family Violence: Neighborhood Effects on Attitudes about Intimate Partner Violence and Corporal Punishment

“…Indeed, "for every 10 years increase in age, risk of mild male partner aggression decrease[d] by 29% and risk of severe aggression decrease [d] by 19%" (Schumacher et al 2001, p. 286). Research from Leonard and Blane (1992) shows a significant predictor of adult male aggression is being non-White. However, Kantor et al (1994) found that race did not significantly predict intimate partner violence when other factors were controlled.…”

Does Type of Crime Affect the Stress and Coping Process? Implications of Intimate Partner Violence

“…Research suggests that anger is a factor in domestic violence (e.g., Leonard & Blane, 1992;Maiuro, Cahn, Vitaliano, Wagner, & Zegree, 1988 victims of rape and IPV) experience intense anger following the crime event. Anger has also been demonstrated to increase the amount of depression and PTSD experienced by victims (Novaco, Hamada, Gross, & Smith, 1997;Resick, 1988).…”

Anger control and alcohol use: Appropriate interventions for perpetrators of domestic violence?

“…The effect of alcohol on domestic violence is moderated by hostility, marital discord, and negative affect (Leonard & Blane, 1992). Where there is hostility, conflict, and bad feeling in any relationship interaction, one response is to take steps to ameliorate the situation through interpersonal problem solving.…”