NCJ Number
173453
Journal
American Journal of Public Health Volume: 86 Issue: 1 Dated: January 1996 Pages: 35-40
Date Published
1996
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Data from the National Survey on Families and Households were used to study marital arguments among 6,779 couples in terms of patterns of victimization, the perpetration of violence, and injury.
Abstract
Binomial and multinomial logit models were used to analyze characteristics of those who experienced physical violence, as well as to determine who was the perpetrator and who was the victim. Analysis of the data revealed that men and women reported similar behaviors during verbal arguments. Young persons, urban dwellers, persons with less education, persons with low incomes, and black people were more likely than others to report that physical violence had occurred in their marriages in the past year. However, ethnicity, income, education, and number and age of children at home were not associated consistently with injury of the wife, the husband, or both. Findings indicated that persons who report physical violence in their marriages are very similar to those who are at increased risk of interpersonal violence in general. Findings suggested that the co-occurrence of street violence and other nonfamily violence with spousal violence may be a useful area for future research. Tables and 25 references (Author abstract modified)