title: Agreement on intimate partner violence among a sample of blue-collar couples.
abstract: This study assessed agreement level about the occurrence of past-year male-to-female partner violence (MFPV) and female-to-male partner violence (FMPV) among a sample of 897 blue-collar couples. Intimate partner violence (IPV) was measured with the Physical Assault subscale of the revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2). Agreement level was assessed with Cohen's kappa statistic. Lower-bound estimates (based on couple agreement that an IPV event occurred) and upper-bound estimates (based on uncorroborated reports from either partner that an IPV event occurred) were calculated. Results indicated low agreement for most IPV behaviors (kappa < .40). Estimated lower- and upper-bound rates for MFPV were 6.7% and 21.2%, for FMPV, 7.1% and 24.2%, and for any IPV, 10.1% and 30.2%. Findings suggest that single-point IPV prevalence estimates are biased; lower- and upper-bound estimates using collateral reports should be calculated when possible. In addition, findings underscore the importance of conducting IPV research among understudied populations, such as working-class couples, that may be at elevated IPV risk.
authors.affiliation: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. cunradi@prev.org
authors.forename: Carol B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Cunradi
authors.forename: Melina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bersamin
authors.forename: Genevieve
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ames
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044382:Population Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult