Effects of Peer Group Climate on Intimate Partner Violence Among Married Male U.S. Army Soldiers

• NCJ Number: 201928
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 9 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2003 Pages: 1045-1071
• Author(s): Leora N. Rosen; Robert J. Kaminski; Angela Moore Parmley; Kathryn H. Knudson; Peggy Fancher
• Date Published: September 2003
• Length: 27 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article discusses the effect of peer group climate on self-reported intimate partner violence.

Abstract

This study examined how group influences may have an impact on the perpetration of violence against women, in combination with individual and dyadic factors, focusing on the culture of the military. Individual-level and dyadic factors were correlated with self-reported intimate partner aggression among United States Army soldiers that participated in a survey of family wellness in the summer of 1998. They were examined within the framework of a typology that assumes two broad types of intimate partner violence: (1) common couple violence, which is less severe, and (2) intimate terrorism, which is more severe and associated with male perpetration. Individual attributes included marital adjustment, symptoms of depression, alcohol problems, negative masculinity, and demographic variables. Variables measuring the characteristics of groups included three measures of peer group climate (peer support, group disrespect, and support for spouses), one measure of supportive leadership, and the percentage of women in the work group. The results show that a history of childhood abuse emerged as a significant correlate of intimate partner violence. Depression was not associated with the most severe manifestation. Race was associated with both minor and severe intimate partner violence. The most significant factor associated with intimate partner violence in the moderate to severe group was alcohol. These results support the argument that there is a qualitative difference between minor and moderate to severe intimate partner violence and that these different types of violence may have different and even opposite causes. Perpetration of minor intimate partner violence may be associated with the perception that one is conforming to peer group standards, whereas perpetration of moderate to severe intimate partner violence appears to be associated with feeling detached from the peer group. 2 tables, 4 notes, 56 references