NCJ Number
212888
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 20 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2005 Pages: 329-339
Date Published
October 2005
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study examined gender differences in the perceptions of abusive males and females regarding family climate, personal distress, and interpersonal functioning.
Abstract
The findings of the study indicated that abusive women reported more distress and unhappiness than abusive men, as well as more marital problems, more family conflict, and more problems with other family members. Severity and history of abuse did not mediate the relationship between gender of abuser and perceptions of distress. In terms of directionality of abuse, unidirectional abusers reported experiencing more distress whereas bidirectional abusers reported experiencing more family conflict. Participants were 7,253 male and female domestic violence offenders treated by the United States Air Force Family Advocacy Program between 1988 and 1996. Variables under analysis included sex of offender, direction of aggression (in some cases the offender was also classified as a victim in the incident), severity of aggression, offense patterns, experience of abuse in family of origin, marital problems, perceptions of personal and interpersonal functioning, and family climate. The findings lend support to the notion that male and female spouse abuse offenders perceive a different personal, interpersonal, and family context that places different meanings on their abusive behaviors. Tables, references