Citation

Lorber MF, O'Leary KD. J. Fam. Violence 2004; 19(6): 329-338.

Affiliation

Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN; Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY; Department of Psychology, SUNY-Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10896-004-0678-5

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The prediction of husband-to-wife physical aggression was examined in a sample of 94 community couples in which the husband had engaged in at least one act of physical aggression toward his partner during the engagement period. Predictors were measured approximately one month prior to marriage, and physical aggression was assessed again at 6, 18, and 30 months postmarriage. Over seventy-six percent of the men who were physically aggressive during the engagement period were physically aggressive at one or more of the next three assessments across the initial 30 months of marriage. Nearly 62% were severely aggressive at one or more assessments. Results were generally supportive of the hypothesis that risk factors for persistent antisocial behavior would predict the persistence of aggression. More frequent physical partner aggression, aggressive personality styles, general aggression, and witnessing interparental aggression in the family of origin were associated with continued aggression. Only general aggression, and premarital physical aggression predicted the persistence of severe aggression.