Prevalence and Stability of Spousal Aggression

• NCJ Number: 112339
• Author(s): K D O'Leary; J Barling; I Arias; A Rosenbaum; J Malone; A Tyree
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 13 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH-35340
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Presented at the 3rd National Family Violence Research Conference, University of New Hampshire at Durham, July 8, 1987

Annotation

This longitudinal study assessed the prevalence of physical aggression among 272 couples 1 month prior to marriage and again at 18 to 30 months after marriage.

Abstract

The study examined predictors and evaluated models of spousal aggression. The sample consisted of 399 engaged couples who presented themselves for participation a month prior to marriage. Of that number, six failed to get married on schedule and data collected from these couples were not analyzed. The final sample consisted of 393 couples, 272 who completed assessments at premarriage, at 18 months, and at 30 months after marriage. Findings indicate more females reported engaging in physical aggression against their partners than males at premarriage, at 18 months and at 30 months after marriage. Specifically, physical aggression was engaged in by 44 percent of females and 31 percent of males at premarriage; 36 percent of females and 27 percent of males at 18 months, and 32 percent females and 25 percent of males at 30 months after marriage. The manner of physical aggression for both men and women was pushing, shoving, and slapping. Conditional probability analyses indicated that the likelihood of engaging in physical aggression at 30 months if one engaged in such aggression before marriage and 18 months after marriage was .72 for women and .59 for men. 2 tables and 19 references. (Author abstract modified)