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A COUPLES ANALYSIS OF PARTNER ABUSE WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR ABUSE‐PREVENTION POLICY *
Author(s) -
MOFFITT TERRIE E.,
ROBINS RICHARD W.,
CASPI AVSHALOM
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
criminology and public policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.6
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1745-9133
pISSN - 1538-6473
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-9133.2001.tb00075.x
Subject(s) - intervention (counseling) , domestic violence , agency (philosophy) , psychology , physical abuse , policy development , suicide prevention , injury prevention , medicine , poison control , clinical psychology , psychiatry , medical emergency , political science , philosophy , epistemology , public administration
Research Summary: We studied a representative sample of 360 young‐adult couples from a birth cohort. We found abuse was a dyadic process; both partners’ personal characteristics increased abuse risk, and both sexes participated in abuse, particularly in clinical abusive couples having injury and/or official agency intervention. Treating only men may not reduce risk completely for most young couples. Policy Implications: If replicated, the findings would suggest policy encouraging development and evaluation of programs to reduce physical abuse by women. Prevention programs could aim to reduce abusive behavior by both sexes and promote victim safety among both sexes. Policies against treating women in abusive couples may act counter to prevention.