A Survey of Self-Reported Relationship Experiences of Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence

Participants in this study were adult US men who were court-referred to a group educational intervention for the perpetration of partner violence in 1 of 4 different treatment facilities...

The survey contained the Self-Harm Inventory¹ (labeled as such), which includes the following 4 items preceded by “Have you ever intentionally, or on purpose”: (1) “been promiscuous,” (2) “set yourself up in a relationship to be rejected,” (3) “engaged in emotionally abusive relationships,” and (4) “engaged in sexually abusive relationships.” Each item has a yes/no response option. Participants were advised to not identify themselves on the surveys. Completed surveys were placed into sealed envelopes and given to the researcher. The project was approved by an institutional review board.

Results. Because respondents were asked to indicate which of the listed age ranges applied to them, precise ages are indeterminable. However, all respondents checked a range falling between 18 and 65 years of age, with most (71.2%) indicating an age between 21 and 40 years. The most common self-reported race or ethnicity was white (40.6%), followed by black (21.2%), Native American (13.5%), Hispanic (12.4%), other (12.4%), and Asian (0.0%).

Of the 170 respondents, 102 (60.0%) reported intentionally having been promiscuous, 47 (27.6%) reported having set themselves up in a relationship to be rejected, 97 (57.1%) reported having engaged in emotionally abusive relationships, and 18 (10.6%) reported having engaged in sexually abusive relationships. Only 36 participants (21.2%) endorsed none of these behaviors, whereas 45 (26.5%) endorsed 1 behavior, 53 (31.2%) endorsed 2 behaviors, 31 (18.2%) endorsed 3 behaviors, and 5 (2.9%) endorsed all 4 behaviors.

Findings indicate that a substantial proportion of male perpetrators of intimate partner violence acknowledge various self-harming patterns in their relationships with partners (eg, more than 20% reported at least 3 such behaviors), indicating an awareness of these self-victimizing patterns...

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/xv8UMV

By:   Sansone RA, Elliott K, Wiederman MW1.

• 1Departments of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, and Kettering Medical Center, Kettering, Ohio (Dr Sansone); Advanced Professional and Special Services Department, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond (Dr Elliott); and University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Greenville (Dr Wiederman). 

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