NCJ Number
76122
Journal
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology Volume: 49 Issue: 1 Dated: (February 1981) Pages: 63-71
Date Published
1981
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined characteristics of abused wives, abusive husbands, couples with satisfactory marriages, and nonviolent couples with dysfunctional marriages in order to evaluate emprirically the characteristics most often thought to be associated with wife abuse.
Abstract
Study subjects included 52 wives and 20 abusive husbands who were seen at a New York center specializing in domestic violence problems, 20 couples with satisfactory marriages, and 20 couples with marital problems. Subjects completed an extensive written questionnaire which included standardized measures of assertion, marital adjustment, alcoholism, and sex role attitudes. Subjects also completed a personal data questionnaire. Questionnaires were anonymous. Results showed that, although abused wives and abusive husbands differed from satisfactorily married couples on almost every measure, they did not differ significantly from nonabused wives in marital therapy. However, abusive husbands were significantly different from nonabusive husbands in three ways. They were less assertive with their wives, more likely to have been abused as children, and more likely to have seen parental spouse abuse in their families of origin. In addition, wives of abusive husbands who would not come for therapy characterized their husbands as alcoholic and conservative. The results call into question models that blame the wife for her victimization and relieve the husband of responsibility for his violent behavior. Results indicate the need for a research focus on the characteristics of the abusive husband and demonstrate the importance of using appropriate comparison samples, such as the nonabused maritally distressed wives used in this study. Tables, a reference note, and 43 references are provided. (Author abstract modified)