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Studies on spouse abuse have typically focused on the frequency of the violence, the individual characteristics of abusers and victims, and the sociocultural aspects of the problem. Many of the current findings remain isolated. A comprehensive model explaining the causes of spouse abuse is lacking. The present study tested the premise that spouse abuse is a multidimensional problem, resulting from several factors in combination with one another.Two hundred nineteen students, faculty, and staff from a midsized university were surveyed regarding: (a) family of origin relational patterns: (b) childhood exposure to violence; (c) current anger expression; (d) attributions for abuse; and (e) current relationship violence. Based upon the existing theoretical literature, the variables formed a conceptual model describing relationship conflict behaviors. It was hypothesized that: (1) family of origin relational patterns and childhood exposure to violence would predict current anger expression and attributions for abuse: (2) current anger expression and attributions for abuse would predict current relationship conflict behaviors; (3) the relationships in (1) and (2) would be stronger than other possible relationships.Analyses were completed in two stages. First, the latent variables in the conceptual model were described through factor analysis of the measured variables. Composites representing measured factors containing the latent variables were placed into the hypothesized model. Second, canonical analysis evaluated the significance of the hypothesized and alternate relationships between factors.The hypothesized model was confirmed with some revision. The results indicated that violent behavior between men and women was most directly linked to current anger expression. Attributions about spouse abuse were not found to be related to current relationship violence. Anger expression appeared to be influenced by the family of origin relational patterns, childhood exposure to non-spousal violence, and a history of committing violence against adults during adolescence. Abuse between parents was not directly related to anger expression or relationship conflict. Abuse between parents was only influential when combined with an exposure to non-spousal violence during childhood. A revised model, which included a new factor called sociopathic features, was developed. It was concluded that relationship violence is best explained by a combination of these psychosocial factors. Implications for practice with spouse abuse are also presented. Given that anger expression appears to be the major factor, the most appropriate treatment may be that which focuses on anger expression and control. Future research is needed to evaluate this revised model of spouse abuse, and to identify potential ways of intervening in this developmental process. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

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This study examined the distinct effects of partner violence and psychological abuse on women's mental health over time. Latent growth modeling was used to examine stability and change over time, evaluating the course and consequences of each form of abuse. The size of women's social support network was examined as a mediator. The sample consisted of 835 African American, Euro-American, and Mexican American low-income women. Participants who completed Waves 1, 2, 3, and 5 were included in the study (n = 585). In general, partner violence decreased over time for all groups, while psychological abuse decreased over time for only Euro-American women. Whereas initial and prolonged exposure to psychological abuse was related to and directly impacted women's mental health, partner violence was only related to initial levels of mental health. Surprisingly, social support was only related to initial violence and distress and had no impact on the rate of change over time. These results have important implications for researchers and health care professionals. First, differences in the pattern of results were found for each ethnic group, reaffirming the notion that counselors and researchers must be sensitive to multicultural concerns in both assessment and intervention. For example, psychological abuse had a greater impact on the mental health of African American and Mexican American women than it did for Euro-American women, suggesting a shift in focus depending on the ethnicity of the client may be warranted. Second, this longitudinal study highlights the importance of future research to considerer individual differences in treating and studying victimized women. Understanding factors that contribute to individual trajectories will help counselors gain insight into the problem and in devising plans to prevent or reduce the occurrence and negative health impact of partner abuse.