Murray A. Straus

1
MENTAL HEALTH AND VIOLENCE BETWEEN MARITAL
AND DATING PARTNERS ACROSS THE LIFE SPAN AND IN
32 NATIONS

• Murray A. Straus
• Family Research Laboratory, University of New
  Hampshire
• Durham, NH 03824 603-862-2594
  murray.straus_at_unh.edu
• Website http//pubpages.unh.edu/mas2
•  
• Presented at the International Association of
  Mental Health Services annual meeting,
  Vancouver, BC, Canada, 26 May 2010
• Other publications on this and related issues
  can be downloaded from http//www.pubpages.unh.ed
  u/mas2
• The work was supported by National Institute of
  Mental Health grant T32MH15161 and by the
  University of New Hampshire

2

• QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED
• What is the prevalence of physical assault on
  partners
• Over the life course
• By men and women
• In economically developed and developing
  nations?
• To what extent are mental health problems a risk
  factor for partner violence?
• Is the relation of mental health problems to
  partner assault different
• For men and women?
• In economically developed and developing
  nations?
• What are the implications for prevention and
  treatment of physical violence against partners?
• Answer using results of several studies, but
  especially the
• International Dating Violence Study

3

• QUESTION 1
• What is the prevalence of physical assault on
  partners
• (Partner violence or PV from here on)
• By men and women
• Over the life course
• In economically developed and developing
  nations?
• All data is on perpetration

4

• PHYSICAL ASSAULT SCALE
• Of The Revised Conflict Tactics Scales
• Minor Physical Assault 
• Threw something at partner that could hurt
• Twisted my partners arm or hair
• Pushed or shoved my partner
• Grabbed my partner
• Slapped my partner
• Severe Physical Assault
• Punched or hit my partner with something that
  could hurt
• Choked my partner
• Slammed my partner against a wall
• Beat up my partner
• Burned or scalded my partner
• Kicked my partner
• Used a knife or gun on my partner
  
• Alpha By participant - Males .786, Females
  .774, Total .777
• By partner - Males .785, Females
  .802, Total .797

5
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6

• EVEN IN MALE-DOMINANT NATIONS,
• MORE GIRLS HIT PARTNERS THAN BOYS
• World Health Organization - Global School-based
  Health Survey
• Students 13 to 15 years old
• Asked if they had been hit, slapped or hurt on
  purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past
  12 months
• Percent Yes
• Girls Boys
• Jordan 15 29
• Namibia 9 16
• Swaziland 6 8
• Zambia 18 23
• Global School-based Health Survey. Geneva World
  Health Organization 2006 http//www.cdc.gov/gshs
  or http//www.who.int/school_youth_health/gshs
  This data has now been removed from the WHO
  files.

7
THE INTERNATIONAL DATING VIOLENCE
STUDY http//pubpages.unh.edu/mas2/ID.htm

• 17,404 Students At 68 Universities
• In 32 Nations
• All Major World Regions
• Convenience Samples
• Questionnaire Completed In Class
• Analyses Control For And/Or Examines
  Interactions With
• Gender and Age
• Score on Social Desirability Response set
  scale
• Other controls as needed for specific
  analyses
• VALIDITY OF THE DATA
• Concurrent validity correlated with recognized
  international statistics
• Construct Validity Show in many published
  papers

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ASSAULT RATE High
everywhere but also big differences
between nations Percent of women who assault
partner is similar to the percent of men in all
nations
10
Rates of severe assault also high Approximate
ly equal rates for men and women also applies to
severe assaults
11
ASSAULTS ON MARITAL AND DATING
PARTNERS DECREASES OVER THE LIFE COURSE For
men and women In economically developed and
developing nations
12
PARTNER ASSAULT RATES OVER THE LIFE COURSE BY
GENDER OF OFFENDER USA -National Family Violence
Survey N 5,229

• A higher of female than male perpetrators
  until about age 25
• After that, about equal
• Shows the typical pattern of decrease in crime
  with age

Female Perpetrators
Male Perp-etrators
Chart from Straus, M. A., Ramirez, I. L.
(2007). Gender symmetry in prevalence, severity,
and chronicity of physical aggression against
dating partners by University students in Mexico
and USA. Aggressive Behavior, 33, 281-290.
13
DECREASE IN SPOUSAL ASSAULT IN FIRST SEVEN YEARS
OF MARRIAGE 383 newlywed couples. At the time of
marriage, and Yr 1, 2, 4, 7
H toW
W to H Assault
Brian M. Quigley, Lorig Kachadourian, Kenneth
E. Leonard
K. Leonard et al
14
DOMESTIC ASSAULTS BY BOTH MEN AND WOMEN DECLINE
WITH AGE British National Crime Survey, 1996
Mirrlees-Black, C. (1999). Domestic Violence
Findings from a new British Crime Survey
self-completion questionnaire A Research,
development and statistics directorate report
(Vol. Home Office Research Study 191). London
Home Office.
15
SAME DECREASE OVER THE LIFE COURSE IN BANGLADESH
AS UK, USA etc.
Bangladesh Men

Female Perpe-trators
Male Perp-etrators
U.S. Data from Straus, M. A., Ramirez, I. L.
(2007). Gender symmetry in prevalence, severity,
and chronicity of physical aggression against
dating partners by University students in Mexico
and USA. Aggressive Behavior, 33, 281-290.
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17
MUTUALITY OF ASSAULT PERPETRATION IN DATING
RELATIONSHIPS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN 32
NATIONS
Study of 14,252 students in a dating
relationship. This chart is for the 4,239 who
reported one or more incidents of violence.
Straus, M. A. (2007). Dominance and symmetry in
partner violence by male and female university
students in 32 nations. Children and Youth
Services Review, 30, 252-275.
18
MUTUAL VIOLENCE PREDOMINATES ACCORDING TO BOTH
MEN AND WOMEN
(Percentages are for the part of the sample in
which at least one assault occurred in the
previous 12 months Can be a high percent of a
small number of couples(as in Sweden)
19
According to both women men mutual violence
is predominant for severe assaults as well as
minor assaults Percent mutual is close to
results of other studies
20

• IN ALL 32 NATIONS IN THE INTERNATIONAL DATING
  VIOLENCE STUDY, AND IN OVER 200 OTHER STUDIES
  THAT HAVE DATA FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN
• (Most studies obtain data only on female
  victims/male perpetrators)
• About the same percent of women as men
  physically assault a partner
• When there is violence, the most prevalent
  pattern is mutual violence
• About the same percent of women as men are the
  first to hit
• Self defense is rarely the instigating cause of
  assaults by women or men
• (Slides available on my) website
• The main instigating cause is anger over a
  behavior of the partner such as
• Failure to do household chores
• Infidelity
• Money
• Child care and management etc

21

• IS MUTUALITY A RESULT OF SELF-DEFENSE BY WOMEN?
• World Health Organization report on violence
  (Krug, 2002)
• Where violence by women occurs it is more
  likely to be in the form of self-defense (32,
  37, 38)
• What do references 32, 37, and 38 really show?
• All three asserted that women's violence was
  primarily in self-defense, but
• 32 Saunders reports that 70 of the minor
  violence and 60 of the severe violence was NOT
  in self-defense
• 37 DeKesseredy et al. 37 of the minor
  violence and 43 of the severe violence was
  initiated by women.
• 38 Johnson Ferraro (Michael P. Johnson
  Ferraro, 2000) cites references 32 and 37 but
  presents no new data
• Six other studies report data on self-defense
• Five of the six found only a small percentage
  of female violence was in self-defense
• One found high rates of self-defense, but
  percent in self-defense was slightly greater
  for men (56) than for women (42) (Harned, 2001)

22

• OTHER DATA THAT CONTRADICTS THE SELF-DEFENSE
  EXPLANATION
• About the same percent of women as men are the
  first to hit (Straus, 2005)
• About a quarter of partner-violence is female
  only (see previous table)
• Most usual proximate motivations for violence
  by women, like motivations of men, are
• Anger
• Coercion to do or stop doing something
• Punishing partners misbehavior (Cascardi
  Vivian, 1995 Fiebert Gonzalez, 1997
  Pearson, 1997)
• Example
• Pearson (1997) 90 of women studied assaulted
  their partner because they were furious or
  jealous, or frustrated, not to defend
  themselves.

23

• MUTUAL VIOLENCE IS
• EXTREMELY IMPORTANT BECAUSE
• Associated with 2 to 5 times higher rate of
  injury
• When violence is mutual there is little
  difference in injury rates for men and women
• This applies to injury sustained and injury
  inflicted by women and by men, and as reported
  by women as well as by men
• An additional reason why prevention and treatment
  must address women as well as men
• Essential to recognize for effective treatment

24
WOMEN SUFFER MORE INJURY THE HIGHER THE ASSAULT
RATE BY STUDENTS IN EACH NATION, THE HIGHER THE
SEVERE INJURY RATE,
r 57
r .18
Iran Omitted. 31 Nations
25

• Question 2
• To what extent are mental health problems a
  risk factor
• for partner violence?
• Question 3
• Is the relation of mental health problems to
  partner assault different
• For men and women?
• In economically developed and developing
  nations?

26
THE PERSONAL AND RELATIONSHIPS PROFILE
(PRP) Measures 25 Risk Factors For Partner
Violence
16 Scales For Individual Characteristics ASP Anti
social Personality Symptoms BOR Borderline
Personality Symptoms CH Criminal
History DEP Depressive Symptoms GHM Gender
Hostility To Men GHW Gender Hostility to
Women LD Limited Disclosure POS Positive
Parenting PTS Post-Traumatic Stress
Symptoms SUB2 Alcohol Abuse SUB 3 Drug
Abuse SC Self-Control SI Social
Integration STR Stressful Conditions SAH Sexual
Abuse History VA Violence Approval VS Violent
Socialization
8 Scales For Couple Relationships (Behavior
towards or beliefs about the partner) AM Poor
Anger Management CP Communication
Problems CON Conflict DOM Dominance JEL Jealousy N
A Negative Attribution RC Relationship
Commitment RD Relationship Distress
This test is available on my website
27
ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH AN 89
INCREASE IN ASSAULT (COMPARING LOWEST AND HIGHEST
SCORING FIFTH)
Assault Scale
Anti-Social Personality F33.5, plt.001
(Anti-Social Personality Quintiles)
28
THE LINK BETWEEN ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY
ASSAULT APPLIES TO BOTH MEN AND WOMEN
Antisocial Personality F33.5, plt.001 Gender
F160.4, plt.001 GenderAnti-Social F5.9, plt.001
Assault Scale
Female
Male
Anti-Social Personality (Quintiles)
29
LINK BETWEEN ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY ASSAULT
APPLIES TO BOTH ECONOMICALLY DEVELOPING
DEVELOPED NATIONS
Assault Scale
Low GDP
High GDP
Anti-Social Personality F33.5, plt.001 GDP
F29.3, plt.001 Anti-SocialGDP F2.0, p.024
Anti-Social Personality (Quintiles)
30
THE HIGHER THE AVERAGE ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY
SCORE OF STUDENTS IN A NATION, THE HIGHER THE
AVERAGE ASSAULT SCORE FOR THAT NATION
High Antisocial And high assault nations
Assault
r.55
Antisocial Personality Symptoms
31
THE LINK BETWEEN ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY ASSAULT
IS STRONGER FOR ASSAULTS BY WOMEN THAN BY MEN,
EVEN THOUGH WOMEN HAVE LOWER ASP
Men
Women
Assault
r.68
r.28
Antisocial Personality Symptoms (Mean for
students in each nation)
32
PRIOR CRIME IS ASSOCIATED WITH A 77 INCREASE IN
ASSAULT
Assault Scale
Criminal History F28.7, plt.001
Criminal History (Quintiles)
33
PRIOR CRIME IS ASSOCIATED WITH ASSAULT BY BOTH
MEN WOMEN EVEN THOUGH WOMEN COMMIT FAR FEWER
CRIMES
Assault Scale
Female
Male
Criminal History F28.7, plt.001 Gender F160.5,
plt.001 Crim HistoryGender F4.8, p.001
Criminal History (Quintiles)
34
PRIOR CRIME IS STRONGLY RELATED TO ASSAULTING A
DATING PARTNER AT ALL LEVELS OF ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
Low GDP
Assault Scale
High GDP
Criminal History F28.7, plt.001 GDP F27.9,
plt.001 Crim HistoryGDP F1.9, p.031
Criminal History (Quintiles)
35
THE HIGHER THE PRIOR CRIME SCORE OF STUDENTS IN
A NATION, THE HIGHER THE AVERAGE ASSAULT SCORE
FOR THAT NATION
Assault
r.39
Criminal History (Mean for students in each
nation)
36
THE LINK BETWEEN PRIOR CRIME ASSAULT IS
STRONGER FOR ASSAULTS BY WOMEN THAN BY MEN EVEN
THOUGH WOMEN COMMIT FEWER CRIMES
Men
Women
Assault
r.50
r.13
Criminal History (Mean for students in each
nation)
37

• FOR THE OTHER FIVE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
• Only discuss the main effect slide (just flash
  by the others)
• All follow the same pattern
• The higher the mental health problem score, the
  more assault
• Same relationship for men and women, and for low
  and high
• economic development natipns
• But all available on my website (Google my name)

38
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYMPTOMS ARE RELATED TO A
77 INCREASE IN PARTNER ASSAULTS
Assault Scale
PTS F24.8, plt.001
Post Traumatic Stress (Quintiles)
39
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYMPTOMS ARE STRONGLY
RELATED TO ASSAULT BY WOMEN AS WELL AS MEN
Assault Scale
Female
Male
PTS F24.8, plt.001 Gender F86.6,
plt.001 PTSDGender F1.9, p.114
Post Traumatic Stress (Quintiles)
40
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYMPTOMS IS RELATED TO
ASSAULTING AT ALL LEVELS OF NATIONAL ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
Assault Scale
Low GDP
High GDP
PTS F24.8, plt.001 GDP F27.5, plt.001 PTSDGDP
F1.5, p.114
Post Traumatic Stress (Quintiles)
41
THE HIGHER THE POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYMPTOMS OF
STUDENTS IN A NATION, THE HIGHER THE ASSAULT
RATE FOR THAT NATION
Assault
r.53
Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms (Mean for students
in each nation)
42
BORDERLINE PERSONALITY SYMPTOMS ARE ASSOCIATED
WITH A 66 INCREASE IN ASSAULTING A DATING
PARTNER
Assault Scale
Borderline F53.4, plt.001
Borderline (Quintiles)
43
THE LINK BETWEEN BORDERLINE PERSONALITY SYMPTOMS
AND ASSAULTING A PARTNER APPLIES TO BOTH MEN A ND
WOMEN
Assault Scale
Female
Male
Borderline F53.4, plt.001 Gender F103.0,
plt.001 BorderlineGender F3.8, p.004
Borderline (Quintiles)
44
BORDERLINE PERSONALITY IS A RISK FACTOR FOR
PARTNER VIOLENCE AT ALL FOUR LEVELS OF NATIONAL
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Assault Scale
Low GDP
High GDP
Borderline F53.4, plt.001 GDP F25.0,
plt.001 BorderlineGDP F.71, p.74
Borderline (Quintiles)
45
THE HIGHER THE AVERAGE BORDERLINE PERSONALITY
SCORE OF STUDENTS IN A NATION, THE HIGHER THE
RATE OF ASSAULT
Assault
r.60
Borderline Personality Symptoms (Quintiles)
46
STUDENTS IN THE TOP FIFTH OF DEPRESSIVE
SYMPTOMS ARE 39 MORE LIKELY TO ASSAULT A DATING
PARTNER
Assault Scale
Depression F9.9, plt.001
Depressive Symptoms (Quintiles)
47
DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS ARE MORE CLOSELY RELATED TO
ASSAULTS BY WOMEN
Depression F9.9, plt.001 Gender F100.2,
plt.001 DepressionGender F4.7, p.001
Assault Scale
Female
Male
Depressive Symptoms (Quintiles)
48
THE HIGHER THE DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS SCORE OF
STUDENTS IN A NATION, THE HIGHER THE AVERAGE
ASSAULT SCORE FOR THAT NATION
Assault
Depressive Symptoms (Mean for students in each
nation)
49
LINK BETWEEN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS ASSAULT IS
STRONGER FOR ASSAULTS BY WOMEN THAN BY MEN
Men
Women
Assault
r.43
r.00
Depressive Symptoms (Mean for students in each
nation)
50
ALCOHOL ABUSE IS ASSOCIATED WITH A 29
INCREASE IN ASSAULT
Assault Scale
Alcohol Abuse F6.1, plt.001
Alcohol Abuse (Quintiles)
51
LINK BETWEEN ALCOHOL ABUSE ASSAULT APPLIES TO
BOTH MEN AND WOMEN
Female
Assault Scale
Male
Alcohol Abuse F6.1, plt.001 Gender F114.8,
plt.001 AlcoholGender F.50, p.737
Alcohol Abuse (Quintiles)
52
DRUG ABUSE IS ASSOCIATED WITH A 29 INCREASE IN
THE ASSAULT SCALE SCORE
Assault Scale
Drug Abuse F16.6, plt.001
Drug Abuse (Terciles)
53
THE LINK BETWEEN DRUG ABUSE ASSAULT APPLIES TO
BOTH MEN AND WOMEN
Assault Scale
Female
Male
Drug Abuse F16.6, plt.001 Gender F84.3,
plt.001 Drug AbuseGender F.05, p.95
Drug Abuse(Terciles)
54

• SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
• Partner violence may the most frequent type of
  assault
• Like other acts of violence and other crime, it
  declines rapidly with age
• Most partner violence is mutual
• Retaliation is common, self-defense is a low
  percent of partner violence
• At least 7 types of Mental health problems are
  risk factors for partner violence
• All five of the above apply to
• Women as well as men
• In developing as well as economically
  developed nations

55
ALL OF THE RELATIONSHIPS SHOWNARE RISK FACTORS
NOT A ONE-TO-ONE CAUSE

• A Condition Which Increases The Probability Of A
  Disease Or Problem
• EXAMPLES
• Smoking And Death From Smoking Related Disease
• 1/3 will die by age 65 a from smoking related
  disease which means that 2/3 will not
• --Pregnancy With HIV And Child Born With HIV
• Only 20 are born with HIV, i.e. 80 are not
• --Corporal Punishment As A Child And Assaulting
  A Partner
• Percent assaulting increased form 8 to 24 -- 3
  times more
• which means that 76 of those spanked the most
  do not assault
• Almost all social science and most medical
  research results are like this. Risk factors
  not one-to-one relationships

56
QUESTION 4 What are the implications?

• A. THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS
• Change conceptualization of partner violence
• From A manifestation of patriarchy as THE
  cause
• TO Family system conceptualization which
  recognizes that
• Most partner violence is mutual
• Patriarchal dominance is just one of many
  causes
• Mental health and social skill problems are
  often a cause

57

• IMPLICATIONS FOR VICTIM SERVICES.
• PREVENTION, AND TREATMENT
• Victim Services Maintain focus on women because
  women
• Are injured more and have less resources
• But also provide services for male victims
• Prevention programs Replace programs directed
  to men and boys with programs explicitly
  addressed to both genders not gender neutral
• Treatment of partner violence Replace
  patriarchy assumption with
• Initial screening to determine whether it is
  unilateral or mutual,
• Treatment based on that diagnosis, rather than
  one size fits all
• Stop blocking anger management and mental health
  treatment
• See Straus, M. A. (2009). Gender symmetry in
  partner violence Evidence and implications for
  prevention and treatment. In D. J. Whitaker J.
  R. Lutzker (Eds.), Preventing partner violence
  Research and evidence-based intervention
  strategies. Washington D.C. American
  Psychological Association.

58
SOME REFERENCES ON THE INTERNATIONAL DATING
VIOLENCE STUDY Douglas, E. M., Straus, M. A.
(2006). Assault and injury of dating partners by
university students In 19 countries and its
relation to corporal punishment experienced as a
child. European journal of criminology, 3(3),
293-318. Feld, S. L., Straus, M. A. (1989).
Escalation and desistance of wife assault in
marriage. Criminology, 27(1), 141-161. Hines,
Denise A. and Murray A. Straus. 2007. "Binge
Drinking and Violence Against Dating Partners
The Mediating Effect of Antisocial Traits and
Behaviors in a Multi-National Perspective."
Aggressive Behavior 33441-457. Medeiros, Rose A.
and Murray A. Straus. 2006. "Risk factors for
physical violence between dating partners
Implications for gender-inclusive prevention and
treatment of family violence. ." Pp. 59-87 in
Family approaches to domestic violence a
practioners guide to gender-inclusive research
and treatment, edited by J. C. Hamel and T.
Nicholls Springer (http//pubpages.unh.edu/mas2)
Rebellon, Cesar J., Murray A. Straus, and Rose
Anne Medeiros. 2008. "Self-control in global
perspective An Empirical assessment of
Gottfredson and Hirschis general theory within
and across 32 national settings." European
journal of criminology 5331-362. Straus, M. A.
International Dating Violence Research
Consortium. (2004). Prevalence of violence
against dating partners by male and female
university students worldwide. Violence Against
Women, 10(7), 790-811. Straus, M. A. (1999). The
controversy over domestic violence by women A
methodological, theoretical, and sociology of
science analysis. In X. Ariaga S. Oskamp
(Eds.), Violence in intimate relationships (pp.
17-44). Thousand Oaks, CA Sage. Straus, M. A.
(2001). Beating the devil out of them Corporal
punishment in American families and its effects
on children, 2nd edition (2nd ed.). New
Brunswick, NJ Transaction Publishers.
59
Straus, M. A. (2004). Cross-cultural
reliability and validity of the revised conflict
tactics scales A study of university student
dating couples in 17 nations. Cross-Cultural
Research, 38(4), 407-432. Straus, M. A. (2009).
Gender symmetry in partner violence Evidence and
implications for prevention and treatment. In D.
J. Whitaker J. R. Lutzker (Eds.), Preventing
partner violence Research and evidence-based
intervention strategies (pp. 245-271). Washington
D.C. American Psychological Association. Straus,
M. A. (2009). Why the overwhelming evidence on
partner physical violence by women has not been
perceived and is often denied. Journal of
Aggression, Maltreatment Trauma, 18(6),
552-571. Straus, M. A. (2009). The National
context effect An Empirical test of the validity
of Cross-National research using unrepresentative
samples. Cross-Cultural Research, 43(3),
183-205. Straus, M. A., Gelles, R. J. (1990).
Physical violence in American families Risk
factors and adaptations to violence in 8,145
families. New Brunswick, NJ Transaction
Press. Straus, M. A., Ramirez, I. L. (2004).
Criminal history and assaults of dating partners
The role of type of prior crime, age of onset,
and gender. Violence Victims, 19(4),
413-434. Straus, M. A., Ramirez, I. L. (2007).
Gender symmetry in prevalence, severity, and
chronicity of physical aggression against dating
partners by University students in Mexico and
USA. Aggressive Behavior, 33, 1-10. Straus, M.
A., Savage, S. A. (2005). Neglectful behavior
by parents in the life history of university
students in 17 countries and its relation to
violence against dating partners. Child
Maltreatment, 10(2), 124-135 Straus, M. A.,
Douglas, E. M., Medeiros, R. A. (in
preparation. The primordial violence Corporal
punishment by parents, cognitive development, and
crime. .
60
SELF-DEFENSE REFERENCES Carrado, M., George, M.
J., Loxam, E., Jones, L., Templar, D. (1996).
Aggression in british heterosexual relationships
A descriptive analysis. Aggressive Behavior, 22,
401-415. Cascardi, M., Vivian, D. (1995).
Context for specific episodes of marital
violence Gender and severity of violence
differences. Journal of Family Violence, 10,
265-293. Cascardi, M., Vivian, D. (1995).
Context for specific episodes of marital
violence Gender and severity of violence
differences. Journal of Family Violence, 10,
265-293. Dekeseredy, W. S., Saunders, D. G.,
Schwartz, M. D., Shahid, A. (1997). The
meanings and motives for women's use of violence
in Canadian college dating relationships Results
from a national survey. Sociological Spectrum,
17, 199-222. Felson, R. B., Messner, S. F.
(1998). Disentangling the effects of gender and
intimacy on victem precipitation in homicide.
Criminology, 36, 405-423. Follingstad, D. R.,
Wright, S., Lloyd, S., Sebastian, J. A. (1991).
Sex differences in motivations and effects in
dating violence. Family Relations, 40,
51-57. Harned, M. S. (2001). Abused women or
abused men? An examination of the context and
outcomes of dating violence. Violence and
Victims, 16, 269-285. Johnson, M. P., Ferraro,
K. J. (2000). Research on domestic violence in
the 1990's Making distinctions. Journal of
Marriage and the Family, 62, 948-963. Jurik, N.
C., Gregware, P. (1989). A method for murder
An interactinist analysis of homicides by women.
School of Justice Studies, Arizona State
University, Tempe, AZ. Krug, E. G., Dahlberg, L.
L., Mercy, J. A., Zwi, A. B., Lozano, R., World
Health Organization. (2002). World report on
violence and health. Geneva World Health
Organization. Pearson, P. (1997). When she was
bad Women and the myth of innocence. Toronto
Random House. Pearson, P. (1997). When she was
bad Women and the myth of innocence. Toronto
Random House. Sarantakos, S. (1998). Husband
abuse as self-defence, International Congress of
Sociology. Montreal, Canada. Saunders, D. G.
(1986). When battered women use violence
Husband-abuse or self-defense? Violence and
Victims, 1, 47-60. Sommer, R. (1996). Male and
female perpetrated partner abuse Testing a
diathesis-stress model. Winnepeg, Manitoba
University of Manitoba, PhD Dissertation.
Straus, M. A. (2005). Women's violence toward men
is a serious social problem. In D. R. Loseke, R.
J. Gelles M. M. Cavanaugh (Eds.), Current
controversies on family violence (2nd ed., pp.
55-77). Newbury Park Sage Publications.
61
NATION ABBREVIATIONS(for those who download the
slides)
AUS Australia BEL Belgium BRA Brazil CAN
Canada CHE Switzerland CHN China DEU Germany
GBR Great Britain GRC Greece GTM Guatemala HKG
ong Kong HUN Hungary IND India IRN Iran ISR
Israel JPN Japan KOR South Korea LTU
Lithuania MEX Mexico MLT Malta NLD
Netherlands NZL New Zealand PRT Portugal ROU
Romania RUS Russia SGP Singapore SWE Sweden
TWN Taiwan TZA Tanzania USA United States VEN
Venezuela ZAF S Africa
62
Example of cause that is not a mental health
problem
THE MORE DOMINANCE BY ONE PARTNER, THE HIGHER
THE PROBABILITY OF AN ASSAULT, REGARDLESS OF
WHETHER THE DOMINANT PARTNER IS MALE OR FEMALE
Medeiros, R. A., Straus, M. A. (2006). Risk
factors for physical violence between dating
partners Implications for gender-inclusive
prevention and treatment of family violence. .
In J. C. Hamel T. Nicholls (Eds.), Family
approaches to domestic violence a practioners
guide to gender-inclusive research and treatment
(pp. 59-87) Springer (also available at
http//pubpages.unh.edu/mas2)
63
IN THREE OF THE FOUR LEVELS OF NATIONAL ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT, THE HIGHER THE DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS
SCORE, THE HIGHER THE RATE OF ASSAULT
Depression F9.9, plt.001 GDP F31.2,
plt.001 DepressionGDP F1.3, p.22
Assault Scale
Low GDP
High GDP
Depressive Symptoms (Quintiles)
64
THE HIGHER THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN A NATION,
THE LOWER THE DOMINANCE OF MEN IN DATING
RELATIONSHIPS (29 Nations
Partial r .-.69
65
THE HIGHER THE DRUG ABUSE SCORE OF STUDENTS IN A
NATION, THE HIGHER THE AVERAGE ASSAULT SCORE FOR
THAT NATION
Assault
r.53
Drug Abuse (Mean for students in each nation)
66
THE DRUG ABUSE ASSAULT LINK IS STRONGER FOR
ASSAULTS BY WOMEN THAN BY MEN, EVEN FEWER
WOMEN ABUSE DRUGS
Women
Men
Assault
r.38
r.52
Drug Abuse (Mean for students in each nation)
67
THE LINK BETWEEN ALCOHOL ABUSE ASSAULT IS
STRONGER FOR ASSAULTS BY WOMEN THAN BY MEN,
EVEN THOUGH WOMEN HAVE LOWER ALCOHOL ABUSE
Men
Women
Assault
r.27
r.13
Alcohol Abuse (Mean for students in each nation)
Alcohol Abuse (Mean for students in each nation)
68
THE HIGHER THE ALCOHOL ABUSE SCORE OF STUDENTS
IN A NATION, THE LOWER THE AVERAGE ASSAULT SCORE
FOR THAT NATION
Assault
r.23
Alcohol Abuse (Mean for students in each nation)
69
THE LINK BETWEEN BORDERLINE PERSONALITY
ASSAULT IS STRONGER FOR ASSAULT BY WOMEN THAN BY
MEN
Men
Women
Assault
r.34
r.66
Borderline Personality Symptoms (Mean for
students in each nation)
70
THE LINK BETWEEN POST TRAUMATIC STRESS ASSAULT
IS STRONGER FOR ASSAULTS BY WOMEN THAN BY MEN
Men
Women
Assault
r.22
r.59
Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms (Mean for students
in each nation)
71
THE COMBINATION OF ALL SEVEN MENTAL HEALTH
PROBLEMS HAS THE STRONGEST RELATION TO
ASSAULTING A DATING PARTNER
161 increase
Assault Scale
Risk Factor Index F38.1, plt.001
Mental Health Risk Factor Index (Quintiles)
72
THE COMBINATION OF ALL SEVEN MENTAL HEALTH
PROBLEMS IS STRONGLY RELATED TO ASSAULTING A
DATING PARTNER BY BOTH MEN WOMEN
Risk Factor Index F38.1, plt.001 Gender F137.9,
plt.001 Risk Factor IndexGender F2.9, p.008
Assault Scale
Female
Male
Mental Health Risk Factor Index (Quintiles)
73
COMBINATION OF ALL SEVEN MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
IS STRONGLY RELATED TO ASSAULTING A PARTNER AT
ALL FOUR LEVELS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Assault Scale
Low GDP
High GDP
Risk Factor Index F38.1, plt.001 GDP F10.2,
plt.001 Risk Factor IndexGDP F2.5, plt.001
Mental Health Risk Factor Index (Quintiles)
74
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• CAUSES PARTNER VIOLENCE
• Mental health problems extremely important
• But not the most prevalent cause

• High level of conflict in families
• Dominance of one partner,
• Especially male dominance
• Cultural norms tolerating partner
• Violence
• Parental training in violence
• Violence in the society
• Mental health problems
• E. Multiple causes, all interwoven

Social causes most prevalent
The focus today-