title: Intimate Partner Violence Between Male Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans and Their Female Partners Who Seek Couples Therapy.
abstract: The current study has three aims: (1) to describe the frequency, gender differences, and agreement in couples' reports of male-to-female and female-to-male intimate partner violence (IPV) reported by male veterans and their female partners who were seeking couples therapy; (2) to describe the pattern of violence reported by these couples (e.g., one-sided, mutual) and determine if frequency of violence varied based on patterns; and (3) to examine whether frequency of violence or pattern of violence were associated with veteran diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One hundred heterosexual couples (male Iraq/Afghanistan veteran, female civilian) seeking couples therapy at a Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic completed self-report measures of violence in their relationship. Almost all couples reported verbal aggression. Men reported perpetrating more frequent sexual coercion, and women reported perpetrating more frequent physical aggression. Correspondence in partners' reports of violence varied based on type of violence from high correspondence on verbal aggression to low correspondence on sexual coercion. Three patterns of violence were identified: verbally aggressive (n = 45), one-sided physically aggressive (n = 27), and mutually physically aggressive (n = 26). Mutually physically aggressive couples generally reported the most frequent violence. Frequency and pattern of violence were not associated with veteran diagnosis of PTSD. Findings underscore the need for clinicians to assess both partners for violence perpetration and the need for effective prevention strategies and treatments for IPV among veterans.
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA teten@bcm.edu.
authors.forename: Andra Teten
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Tharp
authors.affiliation: Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, OK, USA South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, USA University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.affiliation: Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, OK, USA South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, USA University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bowling
authors.affiliation: Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, OK, USA South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, USA University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
authors.forename: Bradford J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Townsend
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D000374:Aggression; D019546:Couples Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000066511:Intimate Partner Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Global War on Terror; couples therapy; intimate partner violence; veterans