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Multivariate Model Explaining Men's Violence Toward Women: Predisposing and Triggering Hypotheses

NCJ Number
177985
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: April 1997 Pages: 182-203
Author(s)
James M. O'Neil; Michele Harway
Date Published
1997
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This article presents a multivariate model explaining men’s violence toward women using four content areas and 13 hypotheses.
Abstract
Violence by men is considered the most serious threat to women’s health and welfare in the United States. Previous theory and conceptualizations explaining men’s violence have narrowly focused on individual factors or typologies. Predicting male violence is complex, necessitating a multivariate explanatory model; no heuristic model explains the multiplicity of hypotheses that might explain the phenomenon. The content areas for this multivariate model were: (1) macrosocietal explanation; (2) biological, neuroanatomical, hormonal explanation; (3) gender role socialization or gender role conflict explanation; and (4) intergender, relational explanation. The article also explores implications of the model for educational interventions, research and training. Table, references