Problem Drinking, Jealousy, and Anger Control: Variables Predicting Physical Aggression Against a Partner

• NCJ Number: 221933
• Journal: Journal of Family Violence Volume: 23 Issue: 3 Dated: April 2008 Pages: 141-148
• Author(s): Heather M. Foran; K. Daniel O'Leary
• Date Published: April 2008
• Length: 8 pages
• Grant Number(s): R01MH57985
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined whether two risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV), anger control and jealousy, moderated the relationship between IPV and alcohol abuse in a sample of 453 community couples.

Abstract

This study found a three-way interaction between alcohol abuse and severe physical aggression for men who had anger-control and jealousy problems. Men who had this combination of risk factors and reported higher levels of problem drinking were more likely to be severely physically aggressive toward their partners than men who manifested these risk factors but reported lower levels of problem drinking. Jealousy alone accounted for most of the variance in partner aggression, with the interaction effect playing a minor role. This suggests that jealousy may function as a critical provoker of IPV. In contrast, although problem drinking and anger control were significantly linked with IPV when examined alone, they had a lesser role in predicting IPV in this community sample. The finding that the effect size for problem drinking was small in predicting IPV is similar to other studies with community samples. Married or cohabitating heterosexual couples who participated in this study were part of a larger study of parent and partner aggression. A total of 453 community couples from Suffolk County, NY, with a child between the ages of 3 and 7 were recruited for the study through random digit dialing. Questionnaires were completed by each partner. Partner aggression was assessed with the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS-2). Anger Control was assessed with the Anger Control subscale of the Anger Expression Scale, and jealousy was measured with a subscale of the perceived Maltreatment of Women Scale. Problem drinking was determined from the frequency with which individuals reported a variety of risky patterns of alcohol use in the last year. 1 table, 1 figure, and 37 references