Intimate partner violence among military veterans and active duty servicemen
Section snippets
Identification of studies for review
Articles examining IPV perpetration by military servicemen or veterans were identified by searching MEDLINE, PsycINFO, the Published International Literature on Traumatic Stress (PILOTS) database, and the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database. Search terms included: combat and violen*, combat and batter*, combat and abus*, combat and assault*, and combat and aggress*. These searches were repeated with the words war zone, warzone, veteran, and military replacing the term combat
Prevalence of IPV
Prevalence rates of IPV perpetration among active duty servicemen and veterans vary widely, with rates ranging from 13.5% to 58%. As in all IPV research, accuracy of these rates across studies may depend upon several factors such as the assessment measure used, the time period assessed, and inclusion of partners' reports. Further, the possible overrepresentation of specific forms of psychopathology, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance dependence, in some military samples
Consequences of intimate partner violence
Although relatively little systematic research has been conducted on the effects of IPV perpetration among active duty servicemen and veterans, it is clear that IPV has far reaching consequences. These effects appear to be similar to the types of consequences suffered among civilian samples; however, the severity and types of consequences have not been directly compared between military and civilian samples.
Correlates of IPV perpetration
Studies examining the correlates and potential risk factors for IPV perpetration have been limited by a reliance on cross-sectional designs and a lack of investigation into more explanatory etiological models for IPV. Currently, the correlates of IPV perpetration that have been examined among active duty servicemen and veterans can be categorized into five groups: psychopathology variables, childhood trauma variables, military service factors, relationship adjustment, and demographic factors.
Treatment of intimate partner violence perpetration
Currently, the only empirically evaluated interventions for IPV in the military include treatment programs for previously identified perpetrators. Prevention programs and strategies for identifying perpetrators have not been examined. Evaluated treatment programs have included a broad range of therapies, and have been based primarily on feminist and cognitive behavioral principles and ideologies. Several studies have included extensive follow-up periods, but only one study has employed an
Conclusions
Differences in IPV prevalence rates vary considerably across studies, and depend in part upon whether the data are obtained from representative versus non-representative samples, and according to differences in psychopathology across samples. Based on available representative studies, rates of IPV perpetration among military veterans and active duty servicemen are up to three times higher than those found among civilian samples. Further, the data indicate that IPV among military veterans causes
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