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A Longitudinal Analysis of Women Veterans’ Partner Violence Perpetration: the Roles of Interpersonal Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms

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Abstract

Significant research has focused on intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization among women Veterans, yet much less is known about women Veterans’ IPV perpetration. Although military sexual trauma (MST) is a predictor of IPV victimization, military sexual assault (MSA), a component of MST, may predict especially adverse consequences for women Veterans. This study examined the unique effects of MSA on IPV victimization of, and perpetration by, women Veterans, and investigated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and prior IPV victimization as potential mediators of IPV perpetration. Participants included 187 women Veterans drawn from a larger web-based survey. We assessed the two components of MST (MSA and harassment) at Time 1 (T1), PTSD symptoms at Time 2 (T2), IPV victimization at T2 and Time 3 (T3), and IPV perpetration at T3. MSA predicted multiple subtypes of IPV victimization and perpetration, whereas harassment predicted neither. Those who reported MSA were more likely to experience T3 psychological and sexual IPV victimization, with PTSD symptoms significantly mediating this path. MSA was also directly related to T3 psychological IPV perpetration and indirectly related to physical and sexual IPV perpetration through PTSD symptoms. MSA was directly related to T2 PTSD symptoms while T2 IPV victimization was directly related to T3 IPV perpetration. These findings underscore that women Veterans’ IPV perpetration may be in response to their own IPV victimization through self-defense and/or due to their PTSD symptoms. Results support prevention, screening, and treatment for IPV victimization and PTSD symptoms to lower risk of future IPV revictimization and perpetration.

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Funding Statement

This research was supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) as part of Dr. Katherine Iverson’s HSR&D Career Development Award (CDA 10–029), and HSR&D Award PPO 17–044 and her Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (USA 14–275). Dr. Iverson is an fellow with the Implementation Research Institute, at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis; through an award from the National Institute of Mental Health (5R25MH08091607) and the VA HSR&D Services, Quality Enhancement Research Initiative. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States government. The corresponding author had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Ave, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA

    Galina A. Portnoy, Mark R. Relyea & Sally G. Haskell

  2. Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

    Galina A. Portnoy, Mark R. Relyea & Sally G. Haskell

  3. Women’s Health Sciences Division of the National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA

    Amy E. Street & Katherine M. Iverson

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Amy E. Street & Katherine M. Iverson

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  1. Galina A. Portnoy
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Correspondence to Galina A. Portnoy.

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Portnoy, G.A., Relyea, M.R., Street, A.E. et al. A Longitudinal Analysis of Women Veterans’ Partner Violence Perpetration: the Roles of Interpersonal Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms. J Fam Viol 35, 361–372 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-019-00061-3

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