Publication year
2010
Citation Title
Intimate partner aggression perpetrated and sustained by male Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam veterans with and without posttraumatic stress disorder.
Journal Name
Journal of Interperpersonal Violence
Journal Volume
25
Issue Number
9
Page Numbers
1612-1630
DOI
10.1177/0886260509354583
Summary
Self-reported data were used to compare rates of intimate partner violence among OEF/OIF Veterans with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Vietnam Veterans with PTSD. The OEF/OIF Veterans with PTSD were more likely to report perpetrating and experiencing intimate partner violence compared to OEF/OIF Veterans without PTSD and Vietnam Veterans.
Key Findings
The OEF/OIF Veterans with PTSD were 1.9-3.1 times more likely to perpetrate intimate partner aggression (against their female partner) than the Vietnam Veterans with PTSD and OEF/OIF Veterans without PTSD.
The OEF/OIF Veterans with PTSD were 1.6-6 times more likely to report that their female partner had perpetrated aggression toward them than the other two groups.
Reports of aggression towards a female intimate partner or by a female intimate partner were significantly correlated suggesting a bidirectional influence on aggression.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer classes for Service members and Veterans regarding effective means of managing conflict
Engage in awareness campaigns, such as Intimate Partner Awareness Month, offering military personnel and their family information and resources regarding family violence
Disseminate information for the military families and service providers regarding how to report incidents of intimate partner violence
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue to support programs that screen military personnel for both intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization
Continue to support programs that identify and prevent intimate partner violence in military families
Encourage collaboration between DoD and community-based programs that offer shelters and childcare services to military families coping with intimate partner violence
Methods
Participants were recruited from a regional VA medical center to complete a paper-and pencil survey.
Veterans who had undergone a PTSD screening in the six months prior to the study were contacted via phone and invited to participate. Announcements about the study were also made during treatment groups.
Participants had to have been in a romantic heterosexual relationship for at least three months prior to the study.
Participants
Ninety-four Veterans participated in the study, including 59 OEF/OIF Veterans, 33 Vietnam Veterans, and two who had served in both conflicts.
Forty-six percent of the OEF/OIF Veterans and 89% of the Vietnam Veterans had PTSD.
Regarding ethnicity: 41% of the Veterans were White, 34% Black, and 24% Latino/Latina.
The majority of Veterans were White (41%) and married (57%). Age of sample was not reported.
Limitations
As this sample was from one VA medical center, the findings may not generalize to Veterans who are not using VA healthcare or live in different parts of the country.
Data were based on self-report instruments which may introduce biases.
As participants were recruited from a mental health clinic, their perspectives and experiences may differ from those not actively involved in treatment, limiting the generalizability of the results.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine intimate partner violence with sexual minority Veterans to see if the findings are similar or different in same-sex relationship aggression
Include information from romantic partners to better understand their perspective on intimate partner violence
Explore the effects of intimate partner violence on military child outcomes (e.g., mental and physical health)
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) consistently evidence higher rates of intimate partner aggression perpetration than veterans without PTSD, but most studies have examined rates of aggression among Vietnam veterans several years after their deployment. The primary aim of this study was to examine partner aggression among male Afghanistan or Iraq veterans who served during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and compare this aggression to that reported by Vietnam veterans with PTSD. Three groups were recruited, OEF/OIF veterans with PTSD (n = 27), OEF/OIF veterans without PTSD (n = 31), and Vietnam veterans with PTSD (n = 28). Though only a few comparisons reached significance, odds ratios suggested that male OEF/OIF veterans with PTSD were approximately 1.9 to 3.1 times more likely to perpetrate aggression toward their female partners and 1.6 to 6 times more likely to report experiencing female perpetrated aggression than the other two groups. Significant correlations among reports of violence perpetrated and sustained suggested many men may have been in mutually violent relationships. Taken together, these results suggest that partner aggression among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with PTSD may be an important treatment consideration and target for prevention.
Abstract Document
Attach