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Typologies of Intimate Partner Violence: Evaluation of a Screening Instrument for Differentiation

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Abstract

Given the prevalence and impact of intimate partner violence (IPV) in both community and therapeutic settings, it is vital that the varying typologies of IPV be identified and treated accordingly. The present study sought to evaluate the efficacy of a screening instrument designed to differentiate between characterologically violent, situationally violent, and distressed non-violent couples; focus was placed on identifying situationally violent couples so that they could be invited to participate in a conjoint pyschoeducational workshop. Couples from two samples were assessed to achieve this goal. Situationally violent couples (N = 115) from Sample 1 were screened into the study via a phone interview and participated in an in-home assessment, which assessed self-reported relationship violence. These couples were compared to a previously collected sample (Sample 2; Jacobsen et al. 1994) of characterologically violent, distressed non-violent, and situationally violent couples. The main hypotheses stated that couples from Sample 1 would report less severe relationship violence than characterlogically violent couples from Sample 2, and would report greater amounts of low-level violence than distressed non-violent couples from Sample 2. Additionally, similar rates of both self-reported violence would be seen for situationally violent couples from Samples 1 and 2. Multivariate analyses supported this with the exception that situationally violent couples from Sample 1 did not differ significantly across all domains from distressed non-violent couples in Sample 2. Implications for the screening instrument’s utility in clinical and research settings are discussed.

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Notes

  1. Only a portion of couples were administered the IJS during screening procedures. See Method section for more information.

  2. Eligibility for the study was based on the following criteria: 1) couples must be romantically involved and in a committed relationship for at least one year; 2) be 18 years of age or older, 3) speak fluent English; 4) be experiencing situational violence; 5) have at least one child under age 12 living in the home; 6) have a combined income below the local county median for a family of three ($73,000); 7) not be experiencing characterological violence, significant substance abuse issues, or have a positive screen for Antisocial Personality Disorder.

  3. For a full copy of the screening instrument and script, please contact the first author.

  4. The IJS was added to the screening instrument mid-way through the study in response to lower than expected rates of individuals who endorsed experiences of IPV via the modified version of the CTS-2. Therefore, not all couples completed the IJS during the screening process.

  5. Situationally violent couples from Sample 1 will be known as SV1 and situationally violent couples from Sample 2 will be known as SV2 from henceforth.

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Acknowledgement

This study was supported by a grant (#90OJ2022) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ACF.

We would like to express our gratitude to the following people who helped make this project possible: Julie Babcock, Robin Dion, Julie Gottman, Michael Johnson, Anne Menard, Sandra Stith, Oliver Williams and Daniel Yoshimoto.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Relationship Research Institute, 2030 First Ave., Suite 205, Seattle, WA, 98121, USA

    Daniel Joseph Friend, Renay P. Cleary Bradley, Rebecca Thatcher & John M. Gottman

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  1. Daniel Joseph Friend
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Correspondence to Daniel Joseph Friend.

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Friend, D.J., Cleary Bradley, R.P., Thatcher, R. et al. Typologies of Intimate Partner Violence: Evaluation of a Screening Instrument for Differentiation. J Fam Viol 26, 551–563 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-011-9392-2

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