NCJ Number
178971
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring 1999 Pages: 69-88
Date Published
1999
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This article tests a social influence approach to the psychological abuse of women.
Abstract
The article makes distinctions between obvious acts (e.g., verbal aggression, controlling behaviors), overt acts that are easily recognized and described, and subtle acts that are least likely to be recognized as psychologically abusive. In general, subtle psychological abuse had stronger and more consistent associations with women’s state and relationship perceptions than did their partners’ overt psychological abuse, violence or sexual aggression. The importance of extending research beyond obvious acts was underscored by findings showing that subtle psychological abuse accounted for a small but significant proportion of the variance in outcome variables even after the effects of violence and sexual aggression and overt psychological abuse were controlled in eight of nine regression equations. When subtle and overt psychological abuse were entered first, violence and sexual aggression made significant contributions in only two of the nine equations. Tables, notes, references