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Couples / Close Relationships

Intimate Partner Violence in Couples with Inmates: Exploring the Roles of Relationship Satisfaction and Cohabitation

(PS5-A1) Intimate Partner Violence in Couples with inmates: exploring the Roles of Relationship Satisfaction and Cohabitation

Friday, November 17, 2023

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM PST

Location: Regency Ballroom, Level 7

Author(s)

HR

HyeRim Ryu, M.S.

Research Assistant/Doctoral Student
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Mount Prospect, Illinois

Co-Author(s)

Jacinda Lee, M.S.

Graduate Student
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Chicago, Illinois
Belle Tseitlin, B.A.

Ph.D. Student
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Buffalo Grove, Illinois
TS

Tamara Sher, Ph.D.

Professor and Director of Clinical Training
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
North Chicago, Illinois
DK

David S. Kosson, Ph.D.

Professor
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
North Chicago, Illinois

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive issue affecting individuals worldwide. In 2021, over 43 million women and 38 million men reported experiencing IPV in the U.S. alone (CDC, 2021). Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an alarming increase in documented rates of IPV, with more than 61 million women and 53 million men reporting experiences of relational abuse (CDC, 2023). Given this escalation, the present study looked at psychological and relational factors impacting the perpetration and victimization of IPV among the vulnerable population of romantic couples in which the male partner is incarcerated. More specifically, the present study explored whether cohabitation and relationship satisfaction were associated with reports of IPV. Although previous findings have indicated that cohabitation and lower rates of relationship satisfaction are risk factors for IPV, these have seldom been explored with couples in which one partner is an inmate. Data were collected from 26 dyads of female individuals and their male incarcerated partners (N = 52, Mage = 26.90, SDage = 6.72). IPV was measured with the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS), relationship satisfaction was measured with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and cohabitation was measured by months living together. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that time cohabitating and relationship satisfaction were differentially related to experiences of IPV. Results showed that longer lengths of time cohabitating were associated with greater levels of female partners’ reported rates of IPV victimization (p < .05, r = .48), as well as greater levels of their reported rates of IPV perpetrated on their male partners (p < .05, r = .40). Further, higher relationship satisfaction scores were negatively associated with female partners’ ratings of IPV victimization (p < .05, r = -.46) and of IPV perpetration against their male partners (p < .05, r = -.41). In other words, female partners who reported lower relationship satisfaction also reported higher rates of IPV victimization by and IPV perpetration against their male partners. However, male partners’ reports of their relationship satisfaction rates were not reliably associated with either IPV victimization or perpetration. The present study’s findings corroborate the role of relationship factors in IPV, gender differences in violence perpetuation, and the complex relationship between IPV and couple relationship satisfaction in an understudied type of couple. Importantly, the finding that only female partners’ reports of lower relationship satisfaction in this unique population were related to higher rates of victimization and perpetration of abuse presents a notable clinical implication in emphasizing the need for early individual and couple interventions to prevent the emergence of IPV-related concerns, as well as to think differently about these recursive processes according to gender. Future research should focus on investigating potential gender effects on the association between relationship satisfaction and IPV in a broader population to ensure quality, gender-sensitive interventions and treatment.