Are Bi-Directionally Violent Couples Mutually Victimized? A Gender-Sensitive Comparison

Abstract

Mutual victimization in marriage was studied in a sample of clinic couples (N = 57) where both spouses reported partner aggression on an adapted version of the Conflict Tactics Scale (Straus, 1979). As predicted, wives sustained more injuries and were more negatively affected by their partner’s physical aggression than did husbands. Multiple dimensions of aggression were used to identify subgroups of mutually victimized couples (e.g., frequency, severity of aggressive act[s], psychological impact, and severity of injury). The largest subgroup consisted of spouses who reported low levels of victimization on all dimensions. Subgroup 2 included couples in which wives reported higher overall levels of victimization than did their husbands. A third small subgroup was also identified where husbands reported higher levels of victimization than did their wives. Contrary to prediction, both highly victimized wives and highly victimized husbands in the asymmetrical victimization subgroups reported greater levels of relationship and individual distress than did spouses in the mutual/low victimization and nonaggression control groups. However, the marriages of the two highly victimized subgroups did differ in important ways. The findings were interpreted to suggest an integration of feminist and dyadic theories of marital aggression.

Trajectories of Physical and Emotional Marital Aggression in Midlife Couples

“…As noted earlier, these similar rates of aggression perpetrated by husbands and wives, notable proportions of bidirectional aggression, and sampling of community couples suggests that much of the partner aggression in this sample is likely 'situational couple violence' according to Johnson's (2006) typology. Situational couple violence, which is quite common in the general public, has been found to have more deleterious consequences for men and women than marital dissatisfaction alone (Vivian & Langhinrichsen-Rohling, 1994).Several limitations in the current investigation deserve note. Inclusion criteria requiring that the couple have a 9 or 10 year old child and the longitudinal nature of the project making a random sampling design unfeasible give rise to questions about the generalizability of findings, particularly to childless couples or couples with children at different ages.…”

“…As noted earlier, these similar rates of aggression perpetrated by husbands and wives, notable proportions of bidirectional aggression, and sampling of community couples suggests that much of the partner aggression in this sample is likely 'situational couple violence' according to Johnson's (2006) typology. Situational couple violence, which is quite common in the general public, has been found to have more deleterious consequences for men and women than marital dissatisfaction alone (Vivian & Langhinrichsen-Rohling, 1994).…”

“…Archer, 2000) suggest the need to evaluate both male and female aggression. Clearly women suffer more severe consequences due to partner aggression (Archer, 2000;Holtzworth-Munroe, Smutzler, & Bates, 1997) and the context of and motivations for female perpetrated aggression may be different (Swan & Snow, 2006); however, considering both partners' aggression allows for a more complete understanding of dysfunction in the relationship system, especially because aggression may be an interactive and synergistic phenomenon for some couples (Vivian & Langhinrichsen-Rohling, 1994). Temple, Weston, & Marshall (2005), for example, found that aggression is more severe and frequent in relationships where both partners are aggressive.…”

“Between me and the computer”: Increased detection of intimate partner violence using a computer questionnaire

“…47 We know from population-based surveys that approximately 12% of both men and women engage in physically violent behavior toward their partners; however, women experience the bulk of the negative medical and psychologic consequences. 48,49 Experts in the domestic violence field have concluded that many men who disclose abuse in the ED are primary abusers. 50 If true, screening men for victimization experiences might be useful for detecting potential IPV perpetrators.…”

Family Functioning in Suicidal Inpatients With Intimate Partner Violence

“…5 In an outpatient sample of couples seeking marital therapy, 64% of wives and 61% of husbands were classified as aggressive. 6 In 272 engaged couples, both women (44%) and men (31%) reported physical violence toward their partners. 7 Intimate partner violence is associated with individual psychopathology, with rates of 54% to 68% for major depressive disorders and rates of 50% to 75% for posttraumatic stress disorder in female victims, 8,9 and excessive alcohol use.…”