Extending a Conceptual Model of Alcohol-Related Violence to Cyber Dating Violence Using a Daily Diary Design with College Students

Research examining the contextual antecedents to college dating violence (DV) remains underdeveloped, suffers limitations, and has not included abuse perpetrated through technology (i.e., cyber DV). Understanding the contextual antecedents to face-to-face and cyber DV will advance efforts to prevent these prevalent social problems. This dissertation evaluated the proximal associations among alcohol use and face-to-face (i.e., psychological, physical, and sexual DV) and cyber DV while testing theoretically supported moderators of this relationship (i.e., state/daily negative affect, daily emotion dysregulation, and trait jealousy). Following baseline trait assessments, 236 participants (173 women, 61 men, and 2 “other” gender) completed surveys on their daily alcohol use (any alcohol use, binge drinking, and number of drinks consumed), state/daily negative affect, daily emotion dysregulation, and face-to-face and cyber DV for 60 consecutive days. Hypotheses were partially supported. Consistent with prior research, the odds of perpetrating psychological and sexual DV following alcohol use varied as a function of contextual affective experiences. The odds of perpetrating psychological or sexual DV did not vary as a function of trait jealousy, independently or in conjunction with daily alcohol use. In contrast to hypotheses, the odds of perpetrating cyber DV increased as the number of drinks consumed per day increased, but these odds did not vary as a function of contextual affective experiences or trait jealousy. Instead, the odds of cyber DV perpetration increased with increases in proximal negative affect and emotion dysregulation, regardless of alcohol use. Physical DV hypotheses could not be tested due to low endorsement. Results suggest that existing models of alcohol related DV may not extend to cyber DV. Additional research is needed to identify salient proximal risk factors of cyber DV that may inform a comprehensive model

Psychological Abuse, Mental Health, and Acceptance of Dating Violence Among Adolescents

Purpose Existing literature indicates that acceptance of dating violence is a significant and robust risk factor for psychological dating abuse perpetration. Past work also indicates a significant relationship between psychological dating abuse perpetration and poor mental health. However, no known research has examined the relationship between acceptance of dating violence, perpetration of dating abuse, and mental health. In addition to exploring this complex relationship, the present study examines whether psychological abuse perpetration mediates the relationship between acceptance of dating violence and mental health (i.e., internalizing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and hostility). Methods Three waves of longitudinal data were obtained from 1,042 ethnically diverse high school students in Texas. Participants completed assessments of psychological dating abuse perpetration, acceptance of dating violence, and internalizing symptoms (hostility and symptoms of anxiety and depression). Results As predicted, results indicated that perpetration of psychological abuse was significantly associated with acceptance of dating violence and all internalizing symptoms. Furthermore, psychological abuse mediated the relationship between acceptance of dating violence and internalizing symptoms. Conclusions Findings from the present study suggest that acceptance of dating violence is an important target for the prevention of dating violence and related emotional distress

Randomized Clinical Trial of a Brief Alcohol Intervention as an Adjunct to Batterer Intervention for Women Arrested for Domestic Violence

Despite a rise in women being arrested for domestic violence and court-ordered to batterer intervention, batterer interventions remain limited in their ability to address women’s treatment needs. Alcohol use is an important intervention target: one-third of women in batterer interventions have an alcohol-related diagnosis, half engage in at-risk drinking, and alcohol use contributes to intimate partner violence (IPV) and batterer intervention dropout. Research has not evaluated whether adding an alcohol intervention to batterer intervention improves women’s alcohol use and IPV outcomes. We randomized 209 women (79.9% white) in Rhode Island to receive the state-mandated batterer intervention program alone or the batterer intervention program plus a brief alcohol intervention. Alcohol use (percentage of days abstinent from alcohol [PDAA], number of drinks per drinking day [DPDD], percentage of heavy drinking days [PHDD], percentage of days abstinent from alcohol and drugs [PDAAD]), and IPV perpetration and victimization frequency (psychological, physical, and sexual IPV, injury) data were collected at baseline and 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. Multilevel modeling revealed that, relative to the batterer intervention alone, women who received the brief alcohol intervention reported a higher PDAA and PDAAD, fewer DPDD, and a lower PHDD across all follow-up assessments. Women who received the brief alcohol intervention perpetrated less physical IPV and experienced less injury than did women who only received the batterer intervention. For physical IPV, these differences became more pronounced over time. No other group differences or group x time interactions emerged. Adding an alcohol intervention may improve batterer intervention outcomes for women arrested for domestic violence

Antisocial traits, distress tolerance, and alcohol problems as predictors of intimate partner violence in men arrested for domestic violence

© 2016 American Psychological Association. Objective: Men with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) traits are at an increased risk for consuming alcohol and perpetrating intimate partner violence (IPV). However, previous research has neglected malleable mechanisms potentially responsible for the link between ASPD traits, alcohol problems, and IPV perpetration. Efforts to improve the efficacy of batterer intervention programs (BIPs) would benefit from exploration of such malleable mechanisms. The present study is the 1st to examine distress tolerance as 1 such mechanism linking men\u27s ASPD traits to their alcohol problems and IPV perpetration. Method: Using a cross-sectional sample of 331 men arrested for domestic violence and court-referred to BIPs, the present study used structural equation modeling to examine pathways from men\u27s ASPD traits to IPV perpetration directly and indirectly through distress tolerance and alcohol problems. Results: Results supported a 2-chain partial mediational model. ASPD traits were related to psychological aggression perpetration directly and indirectly via distress tolerance and alcohol problems. A 2nd pathway emerged by which ASPD traits related to higher levels of alcohol problems, which related to psychological aggression perpetration. Controlling for psychological aggression perpetration, neither distress tolerance nor alcohol problems explained the relation between ASPD traits and physical assault perpetration. Conclusion: These results support and extend existing conceptual models of IPV perpetration. Findings suggest intervention efforts for IPV should target both distress tolerance and alcohol problems

Cyber abuse among men arrested for domestic violence: Cyber monitoring moderates the relationship between alcohol problems and intimate partner violence

© 2017 American Psychological Association. We provide the first investigation of the prevalence and frequency of cyber abuse among men arrested for domestic violence (DV). We also offer the first conceptualization of cyber monitoring, a facet of cyber abuse, within the impellance, instigation, and inhibition theory of intimate partner violence (IPV). That is, the risk of IPV perpetration may be higher for men with alcohol problems who also frequently access emotionally salient instigatory cues, namely, information gleaned from cyber monitoring. Thus, we hypothesized that alcohol problems would positively relate to IPV perpetration among men who engaged in high, but not low, levels of cyber monitoring. Method: Using a cross-sectional sample of 216 men arrested for DV and court-referred to batterer intervention programs (BIPs), we explored the prevalence and frequency of cyber abuse perpetration and victimization. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses tested the interaction between cyber monitoring and alcohol problems predicting IPV perpetration (psychological aggression and physical assault). Results: Eighty-one percent of men endorsed perpetrating at least 1 act of cyber abuse in the year prior to entering BIPs. Alcohol problems and both psychological and physical IPV perpetration positively related at high, but not low, levels of cyber monitoring. Conclusion: Clinicians should assess for cyber abuse and alcohol use among DV offenders. Amendments to legal statutes for DV offenders should consider incorporating common uses of technology into legal definitions of stalking and harassment. Social media campaigns and BIPs should increase individuals\u27 awareness of the criminal charges that may result from some forms of cyber abuse and monitoring