Intimate Partner Violence and Relationship Dissolution Among Reserve Soldiers

Abstract

The military has sought to prevent intimate partner violence (IPV) and relationship dissolution. This study examined the longitudinal associations of psychosocial, demographic, and military service characteristics with IPV and relationship dissolution among 546 married or cohabiting reservist military personnel that both mobilized and demobilized during an approximate 8-month period in 2003. Over 13% reported engaging in IPV in the year prior to mobilization. Younger age and more stress were associated with IPV. Upon demobilization, 5% of the sample had experienced relationship dissolution, which was associated with less education, CONUS (continental United States) deployments, and enlisted rank. Identifying the factors associated with IPV and relationship dissolution may help detect couples at potential risk to improve family support and military readiness.The Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence recommended that intimate partner violence (IPV) be defined to include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force or the destruction of property (Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence, 2002). The ascertainment of the prevalence of IPV and its comparison across studies and samples are made challenging by multiple sources of Correspondence should be addressed to Karen B. Schmaling,

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

“…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.…”

Post-deployment family violence among UK military personnel

“…Much of this aggression and violence is likely to be acted out in the family home. Indeed, US research has established that domestic violence and abuse [with a focus on intimate partner violence (IPV)] is prevalent among military populations (McCarroll et al 2000; Bradley, 2007; Foran et al 2011; Schmaling et al 2011). Research has suggested a strong association between military factors, including combat exposure, and IPV perpetration as well as highlighted the role that mental health problems can play in IPV perpetration among military personnel (Marshall et al 2005).…”

Establishing a methodology to examine the effects of war‐zone PTSD on the family: the family foundations study

“…As summarized in a 2013 IOM report (Institute of Medicine, IOM, 2013), recent increases in the length of deployments and number of redeployments have placed considerable strain on military families (e.g. Andres, 2014;Chandra et al, 2008;Gorman et al, 2011;Mansfield et al, 2010;Riviere et al, 2012;Schmaling et al, 2011). On a national survey of 819 randomly selected OEF/OIF/OND veterans conducted by The Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation (2014), 45% of respondents endorsed "sometimes" or "often" having relationship problems with their spouse or partner, and 19% reported relationship problems with their children.…”