Abstract
Purpose
Intimate partner violence (IPV) in male couples is a public health concern, but the reliability of self-reported IPV data from gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) is understudied. Research in heterosexual couples finds IPV-underreporting can be differential between victims/perpetrators and by gender; it is unknown if GBMSM-data has similar limitations.
Methods
This study assessed interpartner agreement (percent agreement; kappa statistics) between self- and partner-reported IPV, and compared agreement between 2 recall periods (1-year; 3-month), 3 granularities (any IPV; IPV domain; IPV behaviors), and across 3 surveys (BL; Wave 1 (W1); Wave 2 (W2)) in a sample of 404 male couples in the U.S. (2016–2017). Longitudinal dyadic concordance-trends were assessed to determine if couples had consistently reliable data over time.
Results
Past-year IPV-victimization prevalence was 66.41% and perpetration, 64.42%; past 3-month IPV-victimization prevalence was 47.30% (W1) and 52.57% (W2), and perpetration, 46.30% (W1) and 46.30% (W2). Interpartner agreement was consistently low across recall periods and granularities. Observed agreement was higher for those who did not report IPV, compared to those who reported experiencing IPV. At an individual-level, interpartner agreement on any given survey was not significantly predictive of subsequent data reliability.
Conclusion
Researchers should be cognizant of the potential for unpredictable and unreliable IPV reports from GBMSM. Further research on IPV data quality in male couples is needed.
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Appendix A
Appendix A
Frequency of agreement (Fa) and observed agreement (P0) between self-reported IPV victimization experiences and partner-reported perpetration-behaviors among 808 men in 404 same-sex couples collected at 3-month intervals, United States, April 2016-June 2018.*
Fa (P0) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
1-year recall period | 3-month recall period | |||
Baseline (BL) | Wave 1 (W1) | Wave 2 (W2) | ||
Any IPV | 568/796 (71.36) | 417/614 (67.92) | 396/609 (65.02) | |
Did not experience | 161/259 (62.16) | 229/326 (70.25) | 199/290 (68.62) | |
Victimized | 407/517 (78.72) | 188/288 (65.28) | 197/319 (61.76) | |
Emotional IPV | 556/796 (69.85) | 469/650 (72.15) | 454/642 (70.72) | |
Did not experience | 301/404 (74.50) | 352/428 (82.24) | 337/409 (82.40) | |
Victimized | 255/392 (65.05) | 117/222 (52.70) | 117/233 (50.21) | |
Called fat or ugly | 684/792 (8636) | 584/656 (89.02) | 550/644 (85.40) | |
Did not experience | 593/646 (91.80) | 538/570 (94.39) | 507/542 (93.54) | |
Victimized | 91/146 (62.33) | 46/86 (53.49) | 43/102 (42.16) | |
Told to “act straight” around certain people | 700/803 (87.17) | 622/659 (94.39) | 609/650 (93.69) | |
Did not experience | 660/702 (94.02) | 608/622 (97.75) | 596/613 (97.23) | |
Victimized | 40/101 (39.60) | 14/37 (37.84) | 13/37 (35.14) | |
Criticized clothing | 565/792 (71.34) | 484/661 (73.22) | 475/649 (73.19) | |
Did not experience | 380/471 (80.68) | 404/480 (84.17) | 392/460 (85.22) | |
Victimized | 185/311 (59.49) | 80/181 (44.20) | 83/189 (43.92) | |
Physical/sexual IPV | 645/789 (81.75) | 548/645 (84.96) | 523/624 (83.81) | |
Did not experience | 549/608 (90.30) | 512/554 (92.42) | 470/507 (92.70) | |
Victimized | 96/181 (53.04) | 36/91 (39.56) | 53/117 (45.30) | |
Destroyed or damaged personal property | 693/798 (86.84) | 612/666 (91.89) | 585/643 (90.98) | |
Did not experience | 657/691 (95.08) | 602/622 (96.78) | 569/583 (97.60) | |
Victimized | 36/107 (33.64) | 10/44 (22.73) | 16/60 (26.67) | |
Punched, hit, or slapped | 689/802 (85.91) | 606/662 (91.54) | 585/639 (91.55) | |
Did not experience | 689/724 (95.17) | 593/616 (96.27) | 556/577 (96.36) | |
Victimized | 47/78 (60.25) | 13/46 (28.26) | 29/62 (46.77) | |
Kicked | 782/801 (97.63) | 648/662 (97.89) | 625/642 (97.35) | |
Did not experience | 771/778 (99.10) | 646/649 (99.54) | 618/624 (99.04) | |
Victimized | 11/23 (47.83) | 2/13 (15.38) | 7/18 (38.89) | |
Pushed or shoved | 714/794 (89.92) | 599/659 (90.90) | 577/641 (90.02) | |
Did not experience | 654/689 (94.92) | 580/606 (95.71) | 554/581 (95.35) | |
Victimized | 60/105 (57.14) | 19/53 (35.85) | 23/60 (38.33) | |
Forced to do something sexual against will | 791/804 (98.38) | 656/661 (99.24) | 628/643 (97.67) | |
Did not experience | 789/793 (99.50) | 654/656 (99.70) | 625/629 (99.36) | |
Victimized | 2/11 (18.18) | 2/5 (40.00) | 3/14 (21.43) | |
Raped | 798/805 (99.13) | 654/660 (99.09) | 640/646 (99.07) | |
Did not experience | 798/798 (100.00) | 654/658 (99.39) | 637/639 (99.69) | |
Victimized | 0/5 (0) | 0/2 (0) | 3/7 (42.86) | |
Monitoring IPV | 548/760 (72.11) | 471/626 (75.24) | 454/612 (74.18) | |
Did not experience | 347/476 (72.90) | 409/501 (81.64) | 385/478 (80.54) | |
Victimized | 201/284 (70.77) | 62/125 (49.60) | 69/134 (51.49) | |
Demanded access to cell phone | 685/796 (86.06) | 604/655 (92.21) | 592/647 (91.50) | |
Did not experience | 617/664 (92.92) | 584/605 (96.53) | 570/585 (97.44) | |
Victimized | 68/132 (51.52) | 20/50 (40.00) | 22/62 (35.48) | |
Demanded access to email | 755/802 (94.14) | 631/656 (96.19) | 623/643 (96.89) | |
Did not experience | 733/752 (97.47) | 625/634 (98.58) | 614/622 (98.71) | |
Victimized | 22/50 (44.00) | 6/22 (27.27) | 9/21 (42.86) | |
Read text messages without knowledge | 581/752 (77.26) | 511/629 (81.24) | 496/618 (80.26) | |
Did not experience | 427/547 (78.06) | 470/547 (85.92) | 447/529 (84.50) | |
Victimized | 154/205 (75.12) | 41/82 (50.00) | 49/89 (55.06) | |
Read email without knowledge | 616/749 (82.24) | 573/631 (90.81) | 536/613 (87.44) | |
Did not experience | 556/645 (86.20) | 562/602 (93.36) | 523/576 (90.80) | |
Victimized | 60/104 (57.69) | 11/29 (37.93) | 13/37 (35.14) | |
Repeatedly posted on social media | 680/794 (85.64) | 607/656 (92.53) | 588/637 (92.31) | |
Did not experience | 647/702 (92.17) | 606/628 (96.50) | 579/600 (96.50) | |
Victimized | 33/92 (35.87) | 1/28 (3.57) | 9/37 (24.32) | |
Controlling IPV | 676/790 (85.57) | 578/649 (89.06) | 576/634 (90.85) | |
Did not experience | 632/669 (94.47) | 568/590 (96.27) | 561/569 (98.59) | |
Victimized | 44/121 (36.36) | 10/59 (16.95) | 15/65 (23.08) | |
Prevented from seeing [victim’s] family | 763/798 (95.61) | 636/655 (97.10) | 622/642 (96.88) | |
Did not experience | 756/765 (98.82) | 634/642 (98.75) | 619/624 (99.20) | |
Victimized | 7/33 (21.21) | 2/13 (15.38) | 3/18 (16.67) | |
Prevented from seeing [victim’s] friends | 733/804 (91.17) | 616/662 (93.05) | 612/649 (94.30) | |
Did not experience | 712/735 (96.87) | 611/624 (97.92) | 606/612 (99.02) | |
Victimized | 21/69 (30.43) | 5/38 (13.16) | 6/37 (16.22) | |
Prevented from seeing [perpetrator’s] family | 756/800 (94.50) | 640/659 (97.12) | 623/645 (96.59) | |
Did not experience | 736/753 (97.74) | 638/645 (98.91) | 616/621 (99.19) | |
Victimized | 20/47 (42.55) | 2/14 (14.29) | 7/24 (29.17) | |
Prevented from seeing [perpetrator’s] friends | 747/801 (93.26) | 584/656 (89.02) | 625/650 (96.15) | |
Did not experience | 738/753 (98.01) | 538/570 (94.39) | 616/622 (99.04) | |
Victimized | 9/48 (18.75) | 46/86 (53.49) | 9/28 (32.14) | |
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Walsh, A.R., Stephenson, R. Reporting of Intimate Partner Violence among Male Couples: Cross-Sectional and Serial Dyadic Concordance. J Fam Viol 38, 1325–1339 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-022-00439-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-022-00439-w