NCJ Number
164612
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 11 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1996) Pages: 379-409
Date Published
1996
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This study was designed to identify patterns of psychological abuse of women in heterosexual relationships and determine whether different patterns mediate the effects of violence and sexual aggression.
Abstract
Interviews were completed with 578 (80.3 percent) of 720 women who volunteered for a study of "bad" or "stressful" heterosexual relationships. Cluster analysis with 51 items that assessed many types of subtle and overt psychological abuse identified six groups. Cluster 1 sustained the most serious psychological abuse, violence, and sexual aggression, but partners did not denigrate women or control finances. Cluster 2 sustained serious psychological abuse that was more subtle than the dominating-controlling abuse discussed by others and had moderate violence and sexual aggression scores. Cluster 3 scored relatively low on psychological abuse but reported controlling types (e.g., isolation, enforced secrecy) and relatively little violence and sexual aggression. Cluster 4 sustained the least psychological abuse, violence, and sexual aggression, but the psychological abuse was overt (e.g., criticism, several types of control). Clusters 5 and 6 were similar with high abuse and moderate violence and sexual aggression scores, but they experienced very different types of psychological abuse. Total psychological abuse, threats of violence, acts of violence, and sexual aggression scores made different contributions to women's health, help-seeking, and relationship perceptions, depending on the pattern of psychological abuse they sustained. Results for each type of harmful act are discussed separately. 5 tables and 77 references