Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Aggressive behavior among drug -using women from Cape Town, South Af rica: ethnicity, 
heavy alcohol use, methamphetamine and intimate partner sexual violence  
 
Version: 0 Date: 22 Dec 2016  
 
Reviewer: Grace Reynolds  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
This is an interesting and valuable manuscript.  This reviewer, however, finds the presentation of 
some of the results and discussion of those results confusing and fee ls it seems to lack a clear 
direction.  Specifically, in the results section of sample demographics, the authors report that 
younger women are more likely to report all three of the types of interpersonal violence.  In the 
discussion section, the authors s ay that "surprisingly, age was not associated with aggressive 
behavior."  There is clearly a contradiction between the bivariate and multivariate findings, 
however, the authors make no attempt to distinguish the different levels of analysis and what the 
findings might mean.  The authors also do not provide much information concerning the women 
in terms of their living situation and what the "main partner" designation means; is it a live -in 
partner, husband, sexual partner who does not live with the responde nt, etc.  It would also help to 
understand how monthly income was measured; was it for the individual respondent or for the 
household/family unit, and did the household include the main sexual partner?  This manuscript 
could make a valuable contribution to  the literature on women's perpetration of intimate partner 
violence, but it ultimately promised more than it delivered.  The use of revised CTS -2 is valuable 
and is an appropriate instrument to use to assess the outcome variables.    
Minor grammatical an d other edits include: under Research and Sampling Procedure "each 
communities" should be "each community."  In the first paragraph of Discussion the sentence 
starting on line 57 could be rewritten as "this is a concerning trend as it may increase the risk  that 
violence will be perpetrated against them" rather than "their risk for violence against them..."  
Also in the Discussion section, the sentence that begins "Another a major finding ..."  should be 
"Another major finding ..."   
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Needs some language corrections before being published  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing in terests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in t he future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to th e content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do y ou have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare I have no competing interests.  
 
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