Journal of Interpersonal Violence

Women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) often feel pressured to forgive their abusers and remain in dangerous relationships. However, forgiveness does not have to include reconciliation and it may be conceptualized in different ways. This quantitative study surveyed 110 women who experienced IPV from men and separated from their abusers. It then examined (a) the prevalence of 20 different beliefs about forgiveness and (b) the relationship between those beliefs, the women’s self-reported practices of forgiveness, and the women’s intent to return to their abusers. The study asked whether different beliefs about forgiveness were—in combination with different levels of forgiveness—associated with intent to return to abusers. It found that women’s beliefs about forgiveness varied widely, but only 4.6% of the women believed that forgiveness involved reconciliation. In contrast, 80% of the women believed it was simultaneously possible to forgive and to avoid the men who hurt them. When interaction analyses were conducted, significant interactions were found between three beliefs and women’s self-reported practices of forgiveness. For two beliefs, the interactions were positively associated with intent to return to abusers (i.e., a belief that forgiveness involves reconciliation, and a belief that forgiveness involves treating a person better than before). For one belief, the interaction was negatively associated with intent to return (i.e., the belief that it is possible both to forgive and to avoid a person). Results suggest that women’s beliefs about forgiveness matter. Women are more likely to return to abusers if they believe forgiveness involves reconciliation or treating their abusers better than before. They are less likely to return, if they believe it is possible to forgive their abusers and still avoid them. Interventions targeting women’s beliefs about forgiveness may increase their safety.

Self-reported measures of school bullying can be divided into two subtypes. Definition-based measures present a bullying definition followed by one question about being bullied and one question about bullying others, while behavior-based measures avoid using terms like “bully” and “bullying,” do not provide an explicit bullying definition, include items describing specific bullying behaviors, and respondents are asked to rate how often they have engaged in or have been a target of each behavior. The current study aimed to compare bullying perpetration and victimization prevalence rates between a definition-based scale and a behavior-based scale. The current study was part of a 4-year longitudinal research project, where students in Sweden completed an annual web-based survey at five waves starting with the school year of 2015 to 2016 (Wave 1; approximately age = 10.5 years) and ending in the school year of 2019 to 2020 (Wave 5; approximately age = 14.5 years). Because they responded to both measurement conditions, the study controlled for their possible individual differences. In this study, data from 1,469 to 1,715 students were analyzed. Findings revealed that the behavior-based scale displayed higher bullying perpetration and victimization prevalence than the definition-based scale. The behavior-based scales used in this study offer researchers and practitioners a self-report bullying measurement that includes power imbalance, concrete, and specific negative behaviors, and the ability to estimate repetition, but without using bullying terminology. Still, pros and cons of both approaches can be further discussed, and both definition-based and behavior-based self-report measures are vulnerable to a number of biases while they provide estimates or approximations—not exact pictures—of bullying prevalence.

Civil orders of protection (OPs) are the only victim-initiated legal intervention for intimate partner violence. The OP process is unique because victims write a narrative account of abuse to inform judges’ decision-making. Historically, feminist scholars have considered OPs as empowering to victims, as they can signal strength-based change and requesting needed relief. OPs also serve as an important tool for some mothers who need temporary protection related to child custody and visitation. Studies of OP narratives have found that content related to future risk is associated with securing an OP, including allegations of physical and severe violence, suggesting that OPs provide needed protection. At the same time, the OP process is disempowering for some women. The content and quality of survivors’ OP narratives vary greatly, and studies have found that well-written accounts are positively associated with securing OPs, uncovering the potential influence of judges’ implicit biases. This study used logistic regression to explore how violence risk and writing quality related to the receipt of emergency OPs in a sample of 90 petitions filed by women with minor children in a large Midwest County. As expected, violence severity was positively associated with securing an OP, controlling for the mention of other cases/orders and legal representation. However, the association was no longer significant when writing quality was considered; specifically, greater readability was associated with being granted an OP. Linear structure and appearance of narratives were not related to OP outcomes. Findings underscore the ongoing need to explore how the written narrative requirement of the OP process (dis)empowers survivors and the role implicit biases may play in judicial decision-making in civil OP proceedings.

Previous studies have examined the impact of maternal childhood maltreatment (CM) on children’s school adaptation (SA), neglecting the role of fathers, and the joint influence of both parents. Based on family systems theory, this study explored the intergenerational impact of parental CM on children’s SA and the mediating role of benign envy (BE) and malicious envy (ME). A total of 334 elementary school students’ BE, ME, and SA statuses and their parents’ CM, BE, and ME statuses were collected to construct the intergenerational transmission models of BE and ME for fathers, mothers, and parents, respectively. The results revealed that maltreated fathers or mothers individually exerted negative impacts on their children’s SA, but when parents acted jointly, only fathers’ CM intergenerational influence was significant. Mediation effects demonstrated that, individually, maltreated fathers indirectly affected children’s SA through children’s BE; maltreated mothers impacted children’s SA through the “mothers’ BE→children’s BE” mediating chain; however, when taking combined parental action, only mothers’ intergenerational transmission chain was significantly present. Identifying different intergenerational influence mechanisms of maltreated parents on offspring’s school adaptation broadens our understanding of the diverse parenting roles of parents. That is, fathers foster their offspring’s environmental adaptability through encouraging external exploration, while mothers enhance socialization by nurturing internal emotional development. Formulating strategies to address the emotional issues of maltreated parents, especially mothers, is crucial for mitigating the intergenerational consequences of maltreatment and enhancing the offspring’s adaptability.

Rape myth acceptance (RMA) is the acceptance of false beliefs, stereotypes, and statements about rape victims, perpetrators, and the act itself. RMA positively predicts shame felt by victims and negatively predicts reports of sexual victimization. Knowledge about sexual violence changes over time; accordingly, psychometric scales measuring RMA should be updated. Hahnel-Peeters and Goetz developed the Rape Excusing Attitudes and Language (REAL) scale by updating the Illinois RMA Scale—a major instrument used in the United States. However, the REAL scale is not available in Japanese. Therefore, we developed and validated a Japanese version of the REAL scale, evaluated RMA in Japanese individuals (N = 1,000), and compared the Japanese participants’ RMA levels with the mean participant scores from Hahnel-Peeters and Goetz. In collaboration with one of the original authors, the Japanese version was developed through a back-translation process and administered to 1,000 men and women aged between 18 and 65; exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on the data collected. The confirmatory factor analysis showed that the Japanese version moderately fitted the 4-factor structure of the original REAL scale. However, a 2-factor form obtained in the exploratory factor analysis best fit the data. Consistent with the original version, the Japanese version showed higher RMA in men than in women. The young generation (18–29 years old) self-reported higher RMA than other generations. Japan’s RMA was significantly higher than that of the U.S. sample. The Japanese version of the REAL scale can be used in future studies to assess RMA in Japanese individuals and develop suitable educational programs to reduce RMA.

The Nigerian Civil War (or Nigerian-Biafran War, 1967–1970) was fought between the Nigerian federal government and the defunct Republic of Biafra. Biafra recruited young men and boys (child soldiers) to fight the war, but little attention has been given to understanding the mental health outcomes of the War on Biafran veterans. Although there are few studies on social support in relation to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in this older veteran population, the mechanism through which social support influences PTSD has not received much attention. Hence, we investigated whether self-efficacy explains the association between social support and PTSD symptoms in a sample of Biafran War veterans. They were recruited from the Veterans’ association in south-east Nigeria (N = 250; M_age = 71.33 years, SD = 7.11), and completed self-report measures of social support, self-efficacy, and PTSD symptoms. Results showed that veterans with greater social support (β = −.49, p < .001) and high self-efficacy reported less PTSD symptoms (β = −.55, p < .001). Above all, social support predicted decreased PTSD symptoms risk through increased self-efficacy, 95% CI [−0.53, −0.29]. By implication, social support may be associated with lower PTSD symptoms because it enhances efficacy beliefs, and thereby leads to less PTSD symptoms.

Domestic violence remains a complex and challenging issue, particularly for professionals engaged in providing support to victims. The occurrence of emergency situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, further exacerbates the difficulties faced by these practitioners. This study aims to explore the lived experiences of professionals working with domestic violence victims, with a specific focus on the primary challenges encountered during interventions. It also aims to identify key guidelines that could enhance their practices. Twenty-four professionals from the domestic violence victim support in Portugal participated in this qualitative research. Through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, the study identified a range of challenges professionals confront in their intervention efforts. These challenges encompassed various aspects of the intervention process, vulnerabilities observed in victims, and the existing support system. Furthermore, the study uncovered specific challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside these challenges, the research highlighted a set of recommendations designed to refine intervention strategies and promote better professional adaptation. The findings underscore the array of challenges that professionals grapple with, impacting both their strategies for intervention and their overall well-being. Thus, the development of effective intervention methodologies for professionals and organizations emerges as a crucial endeavor, essential for assisting domestic violence victims in their daily lives and enhancing preparedness for potential future crises.

Young Black men (YBM) disproportionately face the most severe forms and consequences of youth violence (YV) and substance use disorders, but are less likely to access and be retained in services for these high-risk behaviors. Investigating service uptake disparities and the role of barrier-reducing intervention delivery models is essential; so is understanding the service needs and preferences of YBM. This study explores the experiences of violence-involved and substance-disordered YBM and service providers working with them from racially and economically diverse communities, focusing on their service needs and preferences. Additionally, we examine the potential benefits and drawbacks of digital health interventions in addressing crucial structural barriers to service access and promoting equity for Black boys in high-violence environments. Individual interviews were conducted with 16 YBM (selected from a larger pool of 300 participants from a pilot study) and 7 service providers (four females, three males). Data analysis utilized an Interpretive Description (ID) approach guided by the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST). Four themes emerged: (1) Revolving Doors and Histories of Violence; (2) Benefits of Violence: “You Do Something to Me, I Do Something to You”; (3) Positive and Negative Perceptions of Violence and Substance Use Prevention Programs; and (4) Need for Equity-Focused and Barrier-Mitigating Digital Health Interventions. Our findings identified avoidance mechanisms utilized by YBM at both individual and community levels and highlighted perceptions of existing community-based programs and digital interventions as crucial tools for mitigating barriers to care. This study also confirms the prevalence of critical service gaps and program uptake issues, even in cities with abundant programs. Thus emphasizing the need for equity-focused interventions co-designed with and for YBM in high-violence and substance use contexts.

Violent, abusive, and harmful behavior enacted by older adults upon their caregivers represents a distressing and frequently disregarded facet within the domain of caregiving. This qualitative study aims to (a) explore family caregivers’ experiences of violent, abusive, and harmful behavior by the older person and (b) explore how violent, abusive, and harmful behavior by the older person affects family caregivers’ mental health. This qualitative study encompassed 393 participants, with a diverse age range spanning from 40 to 72 years. All the interviews went through the process of content analysis. For the first objective, findings indicated six emerging themes: Frequent and extreme verbal violence (77.3%); feeling manipulated and controlled by older adults (74.7%); experiencing unpredictable illegal circumstances provoked by older adults (62.1%); experiencing damaging financial issues provoked by older adults (43.1%); experiencing physical violence (34.2.%); and experiencing sexual violence (31.1%). The second objective highlighted four themes: depression and anxiety (89.9 %), anger (81.2%), feeling morally isolated (78.3%), and emotional outbursts (65.1%). Brazilian participants mainly experienced frequent and extreme verbal violence (62.4%). Moreover, depression and anxiety were mainly verbalized by English participants (84.3%). These findings underscore the significant toll that older individuals’ violent, abusive, and harmful behavior can have on the mental well-being of family caregivers. This study sheds light on the complex experiences faced by family caregivers and emphasizes the urgent need for targeted interventions to foster healthier caregiving environments. Older individuals’ violent, abusive, and harmful behavior toward their caregivers has received limited attention in research and public discourse. The findings of this study call attention to the pressing need of addressing this issue, given its detrimental impact on the mental health of family carers. Recognizing the significance of this topic demands a comprehensive and targeted approach to ensure the well-being and safety of caregivers and older adults.

Young adults experiencing homelessness (YAEH) are at higher risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization than their housed peers. This is often due to their increased vulnerability to abuse and victimization before and during homelessness, which can result in a cycle of violence in which YAEH also perpetrates IPV. Identifying and addressing factors contributing to IPV perpetration at an early stage can reduce the risk of IPV. Yet to date, research examining YAEH’s IPV perpetration is scarce and has largely employed conventional statistical approaches that are limited in modeling this complex phenomenon. To address these gaps, this study used an interpretable machine learning approach to answer the research question: What are the most salient predictors of IPV perpetration among a large sample of YAEH in seven U.S. cities? Participants (N = 1,426) on average were 21 years old (SD = 2.09) and were largely cisgender males (59%) and racially/ethnically diverse (81% were from historically excluded racial/ethnic groups; i.e., African American, Latino/a, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, and mixed race/ethnicity). Over one-quarter (26%) reported IPV victimization, and 20% reported IPV perpetration while homeless. Experiencing IPV victimization while homeless was the most important factor in predicting IPV perpetration. An additional 11 predictors (e.g., faced frequent discrimination) were positively associated with IPV perpetration, whereas 8 predictors (e.g., reported higher scores of mindfulness) were negatively associated. These findings underscore the importance of developing and implementing effective interventions with YAEH that can prevent IPV, particularly those that recognize the positive association between victimization and perpetration experiences.

Previous research has shown there is a high prevalence of sexual violence (SV) and revictimization among the LGBTQ+ community. Little is known about the prevalence of SV and revictimization among rural LGBTQ+ individuals. This study investigates patterns of revictimization and the prevalence of SV among sexual and gender minority individuals. Less resources, services, and more social isolation in rural areas may exacerbate SV. The Illinois Cohort Study is a longitudinal cohort made up of LGBTQ+ individuals with recruitment from June to September 2022. Individuals that have met the screening criteria were delivered a series of surveys for completion, after obtaining consent and given an incentive for their participation. Survey questions on intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and revictimization were collected and described using descriptive statistics. Rural areas were defined as having a population less than 50,000. A total of N = 74 participants responded to the third survey. There were 46% of participants who identified as non-cisgender, and roughly 48% of participants identified as bisexual, pansexual, or other. There were 58% of participants who experienced some form of SV. Factors significantly associated with SV included age, gender, and total Adverse Childhood Experience score (p < .001, .0278, and .002, respectively). There were 70% of participants who reported experiencing SV more than once. Those who reported being sexually victimized more than once reported the abuse lasting an average of 11 years. There were 46% of participants who felt unsafe or trapped in their current relationship. Lesbian (31%) or bisexual (31%) participants were significantly more likely to report feeling afraid in their relationship (p = .041). This study showed that in rural areas, SV is prevalent among LGBTQ+ individuals. Data can be used to produce interventions and resources to reduce the prevalence of SV and revictimization among rural LGBTQ+ individuals.

Over the past two decades, femicide—the gender-based killing of women or girls—has become an issue of international concern. Yet relatively little data on perpetrators exist. Current research primarily focuses on individual risk factors with less attention on community and societal factors. We use a social capital approach to examine femicide by analyzing the extent to which crime perpetrators experience and perceive social punishment (exclusion) from their social networks. Using a quota sampling strategy, we administered a cross-sectional questionnaire to perpetrators of femicide (N = 71), male–male homicide (N = 73), and other serious crimes (N = 64) across four prisons in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Other crime perpetrators served as a control to the two lethal crime groups. Perceived social capital scores were assigned based on responses to two scales adapted from the World Bank’s “Integrated Questionnaire for the Measurement of Social Capital.” Before committing murder, femicide and homicide perpetrators’ scores were not statistically different. Yet after the crime, femicide perpetrators retained significantly greater scores than homicide perpetrators. The perceived social capital scores of other crime perpetrators did not change after the commission of their crimes. As a secondary objective, we examined the individual and social contexts of femicide perpetrators. Most (85%) of the femicide perpetrators could name at least one other person in their social network whom they knew to be physically violent during disagreements with their partner, while 11% stated that “everyone” they knew used violence during disagreements. Although the penalty for committing femicide and homicide is ostensibly equivalent—a life sentence of 50 years—we found that the informal social punishment femicide perpetrators perceived is less severe than that experienced by homicide perpetrators. These data indicate a lack of social punishment for femicide, compared to other crimes, showing social legitimization of the crime. These findings support the development of community-level interventions to prevent femicide.

Although friendship is a key source of support and intimacy for adolescents, adolescent friendships can also involve victimization, which can be harmful to youth well-being. To date, our understanding of victimization in friendship has been limited by a lack of measures that comprehensively capture the variety of negative behaviors occurring in this relationship. This study outlines the development and preliminary validation of the Friendship Victimization Scale for Adolescents (FVS-A), which assesses victimization and controlling behaviors in adolescent friendships. Adolescents (N = 706, M_age = 15.93, SD = 1.67; 62.3% cisgender girls, 33.7% cisgender boys) from high schools in Canada completed the FVS-A and other measures in the fall of 2019. The factor structure and psychometric properties of the measure were examined. The FVS-A demonstrated excellent internal consistency and a 3-factor structure (relational victimization, physical/verbal victimization, controlling behavior). There was evidence for demographic differences such that cisgender girls reported more overall friendship victimization, as well as relational victimization and control, than did cisgender boys. Greater friendship victimization was associated with greater dating victimization and gender-based bullying and was uniquely associated with greater depressive symptoms after accounting for these other types of victimization. Findings suggest that friendship victimization is common among adolescents. The results provide evidence for the utility of the FVS-A as a measure of an understudied source of interpersonal risk. Future work is needed to understand the long-term implications of friendship victimization and to elucidate the temporal associations between friendship victimization and other indicators of psychosocial adjustment.

Violence is a critical issue in homeless shelters that affects service users and staff, yet there is limited evidence on how shelter-based violence occurs. The objective of this qualitative study was to investigate the antecedents and consequences of shelter-based violence from the perspectives of service users and staff. Purposive sampling was used to recruit individuals experiencing homelessness and shelter staff in a large metropolitan city in Ontario, Canada. Data from in-depth interviews with 56 individuals experiencing homelessness and 30 shelter staff were analyzed. Findings showed that shelter-based violence toward service users and staff was perceived to manifest in response to three interacting factors: (a) burden of homelessness and shelter living, (b) individual histories and marginalization, and (c) interpersonal conflict. These antecedents had a hierarchical structure in that each subsequent factor exacerbated the risk of previous ones and culminated with the most proximal factor for violence. There were three primary outcomes of shelter-based violence reported by service users and staff: (a) health and environmental harms, (b), procedural enforcement, and (c) avoidant behaviors. Avoidance was often a subsequent impact following health harms, as was procedural enforcement to a lesser extent. Overall, the study findings demonstrate that shelter-based violence is a complex and dynamic problem that is perceived to be the result of interacting structural, environmental, programmatic, interpersonal, and individual factors, with similar consequences for service users and staff. Implications for preventing violence through shelter design and service delivery are discussed.

Exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) among combat veterans has been acknowledged as a significant stressful combat event that may lead to various mental health problems, including depression and moral injury (MI), outcomes of shame and guilt. Recent studies have examined both risk and protective factors that can contribute to PMIEs and their consequences. However, while the general level of one’s moral judgment is a logical contributor to moral injuries, it has yet to be examined empirically. In the current study, we examined the unique impact of moral judgment levels on the experience of PMIEs among combat veterans. We also examined the moderating role of moral judgment in the relationship between PMIEs and MI outcomes and depressive symptoms. A volunteer sample of 70 male Israeli combat veterans completed self-report questionnaires and a moral judgment task in a cross-sectional design study. Our findings indicate that moral judgment contributed to higher levels of perceiving others’ actions as transgressive (PMIE-Other), above and beyond combat exposure. Moreover, we found that moral judgment has a moderating role in the link between PMIEs and their negative outcomes: Among veterans with higher levels of moral judgment, the association between PMIEs and their expressions was stronger than for those with lower levels of moral judgment. Our finding highlights the unique contribution of moral judgment level to PMIEs and their mental health consequences. It can be cautiously suggested that moral judgment should be viewed as a pre-recruitment risk factor that can help identify those at greater risk for mental health problems following exposure to PMIEs.

Sexual violence is highly prevalent in the United States and is associated with a host of negative physical and mental health outcomes. Specifically, sexual violence is associated with increased rates of cervical cancer, one of the most common cancers found in women. Furthermore, sexual violence survivors report reduced participation in preventive healthcare behaviors (e.g., Pap tests) which may reduce individuals’ risk of developing reproductive health conditions such as cancer. Sexual violence exposure is also associated with increased symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and reduced trauma-coping self-efficacy (TCSE), two factors that may impact trauma-exposed individuals’ level of avoidance of cervical cancer screens. Current research on the connection between sexual violence and reproductive healthcare often fails to examine potential underlying mechanisms behind this association, nor does it account for confounding factors such as healthcare accessibility and need. Accordingly, the present study tested a proposed moderated mediation model to explore the association between sexual violence and cervical cancer screening participation, including analysis of the indirect effect of TCSE and potential moderation of this effect by PTSD symptoms. Participants were 554 participants who reported experiences of sexual violence on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Severity of sexual violence was significantly associated with reduced likelihood of participation in recommended cervical cancer screening. TCSE did not mediate nor did PTSD moderate this association. Findings of this study suggest that individuals’ reproductive healthcare behaviors are influenced by their experiences of sexual trauma, as well as by structural factors such as insurance and income. Limitations, directions for future research, and clinical implications of study findings are discussed.

Concordance between partner reports of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is generally low, but self-reporting of IPV and concordance between partners among expectant parents in marginalized communities has not been explored, nor have associations among each partner’s reports of IPV and their behaviors in observed conflict discussions. This study will examine these gaps. One hundred and thirty-eight low-income, unmarried, Black, coparenting dyads expecting their first child together (136 mothers and 136 fathers) completed the Revised-Conflict Tactics Scale and a video recorded and coded conflict discussion. There was low concordance between parent’s reports of IPV overall with moderate levels of concordance for coparents who were living together and had more harmonious relationships. Linear regression analyses indicated only mothers’ reports of fathers’ psychological and physical IPV but not fathers’ reports of IPV were significantly associated with observed negative communication. Neither coparents’ reports of psychological or physical IPV were associated with positive communication during a conflict discussion. These findings suggest that at the time of parenthood transitions, mothers’ reports of fathers’ IPV behaviors may be more robust in their association with negative/unhealthy couple communication patterns than fathers’ reports and should be used when making safety determinations with families.

In the field of violence against women (VAW) prevention, one of the current questions at stake is how to address men’s role and masculinities, but it is still an emerging field in Spain. The aim of this study was to analyze the up-to-date discourses on masculinity among stakeholders in the field of VAW prevention and gender equity in Spain. We used a qualitative methodology with semi-structured interviews, conducted between October 2019 and February 2020 in Madrid and Alicante (Spain), with 23 key stakeholders from different areas: in governmental (public health and VAW prevention/intervention, and institutional and policy positioning) and nongovernmental organizations (anti-violence masculinities workers, youth education workers, and feminist and LGBT associations). A discourse analysis was performed with the data collected. Our findings showed that discourses around masculinities among Spanish stakeholders in VAW prevention and gender equity were diverse and presented different layers of critique. Despite a general agreement on the importance of transforming sexist men’s practices toward more gender equitable relations, three main interpretive repertoires were identified: “Constructing positive/new masculinities” discourse, focused on promoting men’s engagement and egalitarian practices; “Deconstructing hegemonic masculinity” discourse, intended to critically identify and question harmful masculinities norms; and “Abolishing gender” discourse, which aims at dismantling masculinity, and gender in general, as a social structure that generates oppression in itself, advocating for its abolition. Those interpretive repertoires were not mutually exclusive and sometimes stakeholders incorporate in their work more than one approach. The study findings shed light on this current emerging and urgent debate and contributes more broadly to the critical assessment of the concepts used and their implications for VAW prevention.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) during the perinatal period can negatively affect both a woman’s health and the bonding with her infant. Research on IPV among pregnant women experiencing psychological distress in South Asia is limited. We examined associations between perinatal exposure to IPV and postnatal maternal-infant bonding in Pakistani women with symptoms of anxiety and assessed if breastfeeding practices moderated these associations. Postnatal data were collected from 720 Pakistani women who reported at least mild levels of anxiety symptoms in pregnancy. We performed Poisson regression with robust variance analyses to examine the associations between IPV during pregnancy or within 6 weeks after delivery (i.e., the perinatal period) and maternal-infant bonding. Interaction terms between IPV and breastfeeding practices were included in the analytic models to examine the moderating effects. About 27% of women were exposed to at least one type of perinatal IPV. Women who were exposed to IPV were more likely to have moderate to severe postpartum anxiety (n = 57, 28.9% of IPV-exposed women), compared to those without IPV (n = 65, 12.4% of unexposed women; p value < .001). Compared to women not reporting IPV, women exposed to any IPV showed a 38% increase in Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire scores, suggesting higher likelihood of impaired bonding (risk ratio [RR] = 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.21, 1.56]). Among women who initiated breastfeeding later than 1 hr post-delivery, IPV was associated with impaired bonding (RR = 1.09, 95% CI [1.06, 1.20]), whereas no association was present for women who initiated breastfeeding within 1 hr (RR = 1.03, 95% CI [0.98, 1.08]). In addition to the efforts to reduce IPV, encouraging IPV-exposed women to adhere to the breastfeeding guidelines (e.g., early breastfeeding) may enhance maternal-infant bonding.

Cluster B personality disorders of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) have been implicated in predicting intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. However, most studies include only male perpetrators and ignore the dyadic interactions among couples. The current study examines the interactive role of both partners’ ASPD and BPD features to predict IPV perpetration with a dyadic perspective. Seventy-seven married heterosexual couples reporting recent partner violence participated in the study. Each partner completed the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II. A considerable number of participants (53.25% of the men and 46.75% of the women for ASPD and 41.56% of the men and 42.86% of the women for BPD) scored higher than the diagnostic cutoff point. Actor–partner interdependence modeling examined the reciprocal influence of men’s and women’s personality disorder features on IPV perpetration in two separate actor–partner interdependence models. Results of the first model revealed that the IPV perpetration of both wives and husbands was predicted by their own ASPD scores. In the second model, men’s IPV perpetration was predicted both by his own and his partner’s BPD features, but this was not true of women’s IPV perpetration. While ASPD was a consistent risk factor for IPV perpetration, there were gender differences in the influence of BPD on IPV perpetration. Women’s BPD symptoms appear to put her at risk for victimization of IPV. Therefore, in couples experiencing IPV and having BPD symptoms, both partners may benefit from interventions to address emotional instability to prevent future IPV.