title: Tainted love: content analysis of documents written by accused spousal abusers to their victims.
abstract: This study analyzed themes in documents written by 22 male accused spousal abusers to their female victims. Using Pence's Power and Equity model (1998), 86% of the themes denied equity and expressed power and control in the relation. Of these, 28% minimized or denied the abuse, 24% used the children to manipulate the victim, 16% showed disrespect for the victim, and 14% invoked male privilege (including God's ordination of the abusive relation). These hallmarks of tainted love are rooted in the desire of the accused abuser to maintain power and control over the victim.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs 80933-7150, USA.
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Dukes
authors.forename: Karoline N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Borega
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Clayton
authors.forename: Cynthia K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Dukes
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCombs
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Rodgers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D004282:Documentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008149:Love; D008297:Male; D012660:Semantics; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology*