title: Links between childhood physical abuse and intimate partner aggression: the mediating role of anger expression.
abstract: Research linking childhood physical abuse (CPA) and adult intimate partner aggression (IPA) has focused on individuals without sufficient attention to couple processes. In this study, 109 couples reported on histories of CPA, IPA, and anger expression. Actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) was used to examine links between CPA and revictimization and perpetration of IPA, with anger suppression as a potential mediator. Women's CPA histories were associated with more physical aggression towards and more revictimization by partners. Men's CPA histories were only associated at the trend level with their revictimization. Anger suppression fully mediated the link between women's CPA and both revictimization and perpetration of IPA. Findings suggest that women with CPA histories are more prone to suppress anger, which leaves them at greater risk for revictimization and perpetration of IPA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA. manetael@gmail.com
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maneta
authors.forename: Shiri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Waldinger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D000786:Anger; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult