Publication year
2014
Citation Title
Examining intimate partner aggression assessment among returning veterans and their partners.
Journal Name
Psychological Asessment
Journal Volume
26
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
15-Aug
DOI
10.1037/a0034579
Summary
Deployment and combat exposure can put stress on both a Service member and their intimate relationships. The rate of intimate partner aggression, concordance of intimate partner aggression reporting, and associations with relationship satisfaction and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were examined among male OIF/OEF combat Veterans and their female partners. Partners of OIF/OEF Veterans perpetrated more physical intimate partner aggression than did Veterans; however, agreement between Veterans' and partners’ reports of perpetration was low to moderate.
Key Findings
Partners of OIF/OEF Veterans perpetrated more physical intimate partner aggression than did the Veterans themselves.
There were moderate to low levels of agreement between Veterans and their partners on the perpetration of physical and psychological intimate partner aggression; agreement was lower on the Veterans’ physical intimate partner aggression than partners.
Partners’ own PTSD symptoms were associated with reporting more of the Veterans’ and their own intimate partner aggression.
Implications for Program Leaders
Screen for physical and psychological intimate partner aggression problems among Service members and partners in all military relationship or marriage classes
Educate Service members and partners about the signs and associated problems of intimate partner aggression so they can accurately report it and seek help
Coordinate media campaigns on military bases and the surrounding communities to reduce the stigma related to reporting and seeking out help for intimate partner aggression problems
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue to support programs targeting assessment and treatment of intimate partner aggression in military families
Promote further research regarding intimate partner aggression and effective programs for prevention and intervention in the military
Recommend professional education regarding intimate partner violence for all providers serving military families
Methods
Participants were drawn from a larger study and recruited via flyers posted in the VA, a central database of Veterans, and mailings to Service members.
Male Veterans exposed to combat during deployment who experienced a life threatening event and who were married or living with a partner for a minimum of six months and experiencing relationship distress were interviewed via telephone about conflict tactics, relationship satisfaction, and PTSD.
Levels of intimate partner aggression, concordance of intimate partner aggression reported, and associations with relationship satisfaction and PTSD were examined.
Participants
Participants included 65 male OIF/OEF combat Veterans, with an average age of 39.98 years (SD = 9.14), and their female partners, with an average age of 38.85 years (SD = 10.12).
The majority of Veterans (85%) and their partners (86%) were white.
Veterans were either in the Army (60%), Marines (17%), Navy (12%), or Air Force (11%), and 74% were National Guard or Reserves.
Limitations
Data included sensitive information and were collected via a phone survey, potentially resulting in biased responding if participants were concerned about confidentiality or social acceptability.
There were low rates of concordance in intimate partner aggression reporting, and it is unclear whether this may have been influenced by the measure used.
The sample consisted of male Veterans, primarily in the Army, and their female partners, and results may not generalize to other military couples.
Avenues for Future Research
Further examine the associations between gender, military status, and perpetration of intimate partner violence, including utilizing studies with both male and female Service members
Explore whether anger management and other emotion regulation skills trainings may help Service members and their partners reduce intimate partner aggression
Conduct a similar study with multiple measures of intimate partner aggression to understand how reporting and concordance may differ across measures
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Component
Abstract
There is a growing research base focusing on intimate partner aggression (IPA) in combat veterans, although little work has focused on IPA assessment. In the current study, the authors investigated IPA assessment among 65 male Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) combat veterans and their female partners. Specifically, we compared overall levels of veteran- and partner-perpetrated IPA, conducted concordance analyses to examine the degree of interpartner agreement on IPA occurrence and frequency, and investigated both veterans’ and partners’ relationship satisfaction and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms as correlates of concordance. Results indicated that female partners perpetrated higher levels of physical IPA than did the male veterans, according to both veteran and combined reports. Concordance analyses revealed low to moderate levels of agreement between veterans and their partners on the perpetration of physical and psychological IPA, with particularly low agreement on the veterans’ physical IPA. Female partners’ relationship satisfaction was associated with reporting less of the veterans’ and their own IPA relative to the veterans’ reports, and their PTSD symptoms were associated with reporting more of the veterans’ and their own IPA. In contrast, the veterans’ PTSD symptoms were associated with reporting less of their own IPA relative to their partners’ reports. The findings emphasize the need for those researching and treating IPA among military couples to assess IPA perpetrated by both members of the relationship and to consider possible factors that might impact the accuracy of IPA reporting.
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