Journal of Family Violence

, Volume 23, Issue 3, pp 149–160 | Cite as

Marital Satisfaction and Marital Discord as Risk Markers for Intimate Partner Violence: A Meta-analytic Review

  • Sandra M. Stith
  • Narkia M. Green
  • Douglas B. Smith
  • David B. Ward
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
First Online:

Abstract

A meta-analysis investigating the relationship between marital satisfaction/discord and intimate partner violence (IPV) in heterosexual relationships was conducted with 32 articles. Overall, a small-to-moderate effect size (r = −0.27) indicated a significant and negative relationship existed between marital satisfaction/discord and IPV. Moderator analyses found no differences between effect size based on construct examined (discord or satisfaction). However, the magnitudes of observed effect sizes were influenced by other moderator variables, including the use of standardized versus non-standardized measures, gender of the offender and victim, role in the violence (perpetrator versus victim), and sample type (clinical versus community). The data suggests that gender is an especially important moderator variable in understanding the relationship between marital satisfaction/discord and IPV.

Keywords

Marital satisfaction Marital discord Risk markers Intimate partner violence Gender Meta-analysis 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the United States Air Force under Agreement No. 98-EXCA-3-0654. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the U.S. Air Force. We thank Carrie Penn Blackburn for assistance in coding articles used in this report.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007

Authors and Affiliations

  • Sandra M. Stith
    • 1
  • Narkia M. Green
    • 2
  • Douglas B. Smith
    • 3
  • David B. Ward
    • 4
  1. 1.Family Studies and Human Services101 Campus Creek Drive, Kansas State UniversityManhattanUSA
  2. 2.Virginia Polytechnic Institution and State UniversityBlacksburgUSA
  3. 3.Texas Tech UniversityLubbockUSA
  4. 4.Pacific Lutheran UniversityTacomaUSA

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