The Associations among Male - Perpetrated Partner Violence, Wives' Psychological Distress and Children's Behavior Problems: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

Male-perpetrated partner violence is receiving increased clinical and research attention in recent years as awareness grows that violence within intimate relationships is a significant public health concern. It is conservatively estimated that 1.6 million American women are beaten by their intimate partners each year (Straus & Gelles, 1986). Military and veteran populations appear to be at particular risk for male-perpetrated marital violence, with military. couples reporting higher rates of violence against women (Bohannon & Dosser, 1995), greater severity of violence against women (Shupe, et al., 1987), and greater risk of victim injury associated with violence against women (Cantos, et al., 1994) when compared to their civilian counterparts. Male-perpetrated partner violence is associated with significant physical health consequences for its female victims. For example, one investigation of women presenting to emergency rooms found that battering was responsible for more injuries to women than automobile accidents, rapes, and muggings combined (McLeer & Anwar, 1989). In addition, male-perpetrated partner violence has been shown to have wide-ranging negative consequences for the female partner's mental health, including depression (e.g., Straus, 1992), anxiety (e.g., Russell, et al., 1989), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; e.g., Astin, et al., 1995), social withdrawal (e.g., Star, et al., 1979), and low self-esteem (e.g., Aguilar & Nightingale, 1994).