NCJ Number
177802
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: March 1999 Pages: 292-312
Date Published
March 1999
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Data from 18 women were used to examine the type, severity, and frequency of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms experienced by battered women prior to their killing their male partners.
Abstract
The researchers sought to gather information from both incarcerated and nonincarcerated battered women in Illinois who had admitted killing their abusive partners. Only incarcerated women agreed to participate in the research. The women were assessed in 1996, using self-report questionnaires and clinical interviews. The assessments focused on the frequency and severity of their lifetime PTSD symptoms and the type of abuse endured. Correlations were performed between clusters of PTSD symptoms and composites of violent experiences. Results revealed that these women experienced moderate to high levels of PTSD symptom frequency and severity, except for an inability to recall important aspects of the trauma, before killing their male partners. In addition, significant canonical correlations existed between the frequency and severity of PTSD symptoms and the severity of the types of abuses experienced. It is recommended that future research include nonincarcerated women to provide insights into their attitudes and lives following imprisonment. Tables and 28 references (Author abstract modified)