The Associations among Male - Perpetrated Partner Violence, Wives' Psychological Distress and Children's Behavior Problems: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

INTRODUCTIONMale-perpetrated partner violence is receiving increased clinical and research attention in recent years as awareness grows that violence within intimate relationships is a significant public health concern. It is conservatively estimated that 1.6 million American women are beaten by their intimate partners each year (Straus & Gelles, 1986). Military and veteran populations appear to be at particular risk for male-perpetrated marital violence, with military couples reporting higher rates of violence against women (Bohannon & Dosser, 1995), greater severity of violence against women (Shupe, et al., 1987), and greater risk of victim injury associated with violence against women (Cantos, et al., 1994) when compared to their civilian counterparts. Male-perpetrated partner violence is associated with significant physical health consequences for its female victims. For example, one investigation of women presenting to emergency rooms found that battering was responsible for more injuries to women than automobile accidents, rapes, and muggings combined (McLeer & Anwar, 1989). In addition, male-perpetrated partner violence has been shown to have wide-ranging negative consequences for the female partner's mental health, including depression (e.g., Straus, 1992), anxiety (e.g., Russell, et al., 1989), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; e.g., Astin, et al., 1995), social withdrawal (e.g., Star, et al., 1979), and low self-esteem (e.g., Aguilar & Nightingale, 1994).Male-perpetrated marital violence is also associated with decreased marital and family functioning (Bauserman & Arias, 1992). Women who have been physically assaulted by their partners report lower levels of both marital satisfaction and marital stability than nonvictims (Arias, et al., 1997; Edleson, et al., 1991). Given the robust association between marital dissatisfaction and depression, particularly among women (Beach, et al., 1998), victims of violence, who are at risk to be maritally distressed, may experience both direct and indirect threats to their psychological well-being.Other "unintended victims" of marital violence are the children who are exposed to interparental violence (Hershorn & Rosenbaum, 1985). Carlson (1984) estimated that approximately 3.3 million children witness interparental violence annually. This number is of particular concern because there is a consensus in the literature that children exposed to interparental violence are at increased risk for problems with their psychological well-being (e.g. Cummings, et al., 1999). Jaffe, et al. (1986) reported that children who are exposed to marital violence have adjustment difficulties that resemble the problems shown by children abused by their parents, and that differ significantly from the problems shown by children of nonviolent families. The relationship between interspousal aggression and child behavior problems has been documented, even after controlling for the effects of marital adjustment (Jouriles, et al., 1989) and parental aggression toward children (McDonald, et al., 2000). Children exposed to interparental violence, even those who are not themselves recipients of violence, exhibit a range of externalizing and internalizing behavior problems, as well as lowered self-esteem, academic performance, and social competence (Smith, et al., 1997).It may be that children are directly impacted simply by being exposed to violence in the home. For example, children exposed to violence could learn inappropriate ways of resolving interpersonal conflict through the imitation of parental models, or the stress and fear associated with living in a violent household could take a toll on children's emotional well-being (Cummings & Davies, 1994). However, interparental violence may also impact children indirectly through its impact on parent-child relationships. This hypothesis is consistent with a longitudinal investigation of parental marital quality and child functioning, which suggested that the ability of parents to handle differences in their relationships through appropriate conflict management and communication skills contributes to their child's well-being (Howes & Markman, 1989). …