Gender and Military Contextual Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Aggression

Abstract

This study explored individual and military risk factors for intimate partner aggression (IPA) perpetration among Navy personnel in their second year of service. We found some evidence that job stress was related to higher perpetration among men. Contrary to expectations, ship duty was related to lower perpetration rates, even though it involves more military operational stress and more frequent deployments than does shore duty. Premilitary alcohol problems were a stronger risk factor for men than for women, whereas premilitary patterns of aggressive behavior were a stronger risk factor for women. Recommendations for future research and public health interventions are discussed.Research on intimate partner aggression (IPA) in the military has not been extensive and has focused largely on prevalence. Studies comparing military and civilian rates have yielded some evidence that IPA is more prevalent in activeduty than civilian populations (

Prevalence of intimate partner violence perpetration among military populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Although pooled prevalence estimates for past-year physical IPV perpetration were higher among men compared to women (27.0% vs. 22.0%), six studies comparing past-year self-reported physical IPV among women and men within the same study reported higher prevalence among women compared to men (15.1% vs. 12.9% ( Foran et al, 2011 ); 18.2% vs. 16.8% ( Hundt & Holohan, 2012 ); 24.2% vs. 18.3% ( McCarroll et al, 2010 ); 9.0% vs. 5.0% ( Smith Slep et al, 2010 ); 32.0% vs. 15.0% ( Stander et al, 2011 ); 24.2% vs. 17.5% ( Heavey et al, 2017 )).…”

“…The majority ( n = 31) of included studies reported past-year IPV perpetration ( Buchholz et al, 2017 ; Byrne & Riggs, 1996 ; Dutra, de Blank, Scheiderer, & Taft, 2012 ; Fonesca et al, 2006 ; Foran et al, 2011 ; Forgey & Badger, 2006 ; Gerlock, Szarka, Cox, & Harel, 2016 ; Gondolf & Foster, 1991 ; Heavey, Homish, Goodell, & Homish, 2017 ; Heyman & Neidig, 1999 ; Hiley-Young, Blake, Abueg, Rozynko, & Gusman, 1995 ; Hundt & Holohan, 2012 ; Kar & O'Leary, 2013 ; Kelley, Stambaugh, Milletich, Veprinsky, & Snell, 2015 ; Klaw, Demers, & Da Silva, 2016 ; McCarroll et al, 2010 ; Merrill, Crouch, Thomsen, Guimond, & Milner, 2005 ; Newby et al, 2003 ; Owens et al, 2013 ; Pan, Neidig, & O'Leary, 1994 ; Rosen, Knudson, et al, 2002 ; Rosen, Parmley, Knudson, & Fancher, 2002c ; Schmaling, Blume, & Russell, 2011 ; Sherman, Sautter, Jackson, Lyons, & Han, 2006 ; Slep, Foran, Heyman, & Snarr, 2011 ; Smith Slep, Foran, Heyman, & Snarr, 2010 ; Stander et al, 2011 ; Taft et al, 2009 ; Teten et al, 2010 ; Teten, Schumacher, Bailey, & Kent, 2009 ; Tharp, Sherman, Bowling, & Townsend, 2016 ). The remaining studies measuring IPV in different time periods (i.e.…”

“… Past-year overall IPV: 65/546 = 13.5%. Yes T = 22/40 S = 6/14 M = 9/14 Sherman et al (2006) 179 male Veterans in committed relationship with a cohabiting female partner Cross-sectional study of couples seeking relationship therapy at the Family Mental Health Program Mental health issue– combat related PTSD, major depressive disorder, adjustment disorder: medical records Past-year physical violence: CTS Past-year physical IPV: Overall : 77/179 = 43% Severe : 26/179 = 14.5% Yes T = 25/40 S = 7/14 M = 9/14 Smith Slep et al (2010) 42,744 AD US Air Force personnel (Men = 34,713; Women = 8031) in relationships Cross-sectional survey of AD Air Force members completing the 2006 Community Assessment (anonymous survey conducted at 82 sites worldwide) IPV: measure similar to CTS Alcohol: AUDIT-10 Past-year physical IPV: Men : 1736/34713 = 5% Women : 723/8031 = 9% Yes T = 28/40 S = 10/14 M = 10/14 Smith Slep, Foran, Heyman, and Snarr (2011) 42,744 AD US Air Force personnel (Men = 34,713; Women = 8031) in relationships Cross-sectional survey of AD Air Force members completing the 2006 Community Assessment (anonymous survey conducted at 82 sites worldwide) IPV: measure similar to CTS Alcohol: AUDIT-10 Past-year physical CS-IPV: Men : 310/28,758 = 1.1% Women : 93/6,633 = 1.4% Yes T = 28/40 S = 10/14 M = 10/14 Stander et al (2011) 147 male and 230 female AD Navy personnel who were married/cohabiting Longitudinal study using data from large survey of Navy Recruits Past-year intimate partner aggression (IPA): CTS Past-year physical aggression: Overall : Men: 22/147 = 15% Women: 7/230 = 32% Mild : Men: 15/147 = 10% Women: 41/230 = 18% Severe : Men: 7/147 = 5% Women: 32/230 = 14% Verbal : Men: 88/147 = 60% Women: 117/230 = 51% Yes T = 27/40 S = 7/14 M = 9/14 Taft, Street, Marshall, Dowdall, and Riggs (2007) 60 male Vietnam combat Veterans who had served in Vietnam theatre between 1964 and 1973 In romantic relationship (minimum 1-year) Recruited from 1997 to 1998 in a Department of VA Medical Centre PTSD: CAPS ...…”

“…Thirty studies measured physical IPV perpetration among military populations with estimates ranging from 5.0%–57.6% ( Buchholz et al, 2017 ; Byrne & Riggs, 1996 ; Dutra et al, 2012 ; Foran et al, 2011 ; Forgey & Badger, 2006 ; Gerlock et al, 2016 ; Heavey et al, 2017 ; Hiley-Young et al, 1995 ; Hundt & Holohan, 2012 ; Kar & O'Leary, 2013 ; Kelley et al, 2015 ; Klaw et al, 2016 ; LaMotte et al, 2017 ; LaMotte, Taft, Reardon, & Miller, 2014 ; LaMotte, Taft, Weatherill, et al, 2014 ; Owens et al, 2013 ; Pan et al, 1994 ; Petrick et al, 1983 ; Portnoy et al, 2018 ; Rosen, Knudson, et al, 2002 ; Rosen, Parmley, et al, 2002c ; Sherman et al, 2006 ; Smith Slep et al, 2010 ; Stander et al, 2011 ; Taft et al, 2007 ; Taft et al, 2009 ; Teten et al, 2009 ; Teten et al, 2010 ; Tharp et al, 2016 ; Waliski et al, 2013 ; Zamorski & Wiens-Kinkaid, 2013 ). Fifteen studies were suitable for inclusion in a meta-analysis for past-year physical IPV with subgroup analysis by gender ( Foran et al, 2011 ; Forgey & Badger, 2006 ; Gerlock et al, 2016 ; Heavey et al, 2017 ; Hiley-Young et al, 1995 ; Hundt & Holohan, 2012 ; Kar & O'Leary, 2013 ; Klaw et al, 2016 ; Owens et al, 2013 ; Pan et al, 1994 ; Rosen, Knudson, et al, 2002 ; Rosen, Parmley, et al, 2002c ; Sherman et al, 2006 ; Smith Slep et al, 2010 ; Stander et al, 2011 ; Taft et al, 2009 ; Teten et al, 2009 ; Teten et al, 2010 ; …”

Parenting and Children's Resilience in Military Families

“…In one of the only studies of IPV perpetration risk factors specifi cally addressing the potential importance of a variety of military-specifi c factors as well as individual-level risk factors, Stander et al ( 2011 ) found that military-specifi c factors do not carry substantial unique weight. Using a sample of second-year US Navy members, rates of IPV perpetration were generally unrelated to military occupational specialty (MOS), as were risk factors implicated in the civilian IPV literature that some suspect could be clustered in military occupations (i.e., extremely gender-stereotypic attitudes, hostility toward the opposite sex, trait anger, general aggression).…”