Adolescent Reports of Parental Spousal Violence in Military and Civilian Families

Research comparing the incidence of violence in the military family to civilian families has produced inconclusive results. One possible explanation for the conflicting findings is the tendency for victims, abusers, and the system to underreport violence within the military environment. The current study examined adolescent reports of parental spousal violence among American college students stationed overseas. This sample provides an excellent opportunity to compare both military and civilian families subjected to stressors characteristic of the military lifestyle. Students from military backgrounds reported higher rates of parental spousal violence than students from civilian backgrounds. Data were analyzed by military rank and ethnic status. The results also examined the possibility of using adolescent reports of parental spousal violence as a measure of incidence rates of family violence in the military.