Women's Motives for Violent and Nonviolent Behaviors in Conflicts

• NCJ Number: 240979
• Journal: Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 22 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2007 Pages: 1043-1065
• Author(s): Rebecca Weston; Linda L. Marshall; Ann L. Coker
• Date Published: August 2007
• Length: 23 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2001-WT-BX-0504
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Award: The Context, Motives and Meaning of Partner Violence

Annotation

This study examined the factor structure and psychometric properties of a scale of motives for behaviors in relational conflicts.

Abstract

Drawing from past research on women's motives for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, correlates of women's perpetration, and correlates of nonviolent conflict, the authors created a scale containing 125 possible motives, representing 14 broad domains (e.g., self-defense, retaliation). Participants were an ethnically diverse sample of women who had perpetrated no physical IPV against their current partner (n = 243), threats but not physical IPV (n = 70), nonsevere physical IPV (n = 193), and at least one act of severe (e.g., choke) physical IPV (n = 93). An exploratory factor analysis yielded a seven-factor solution, representing Partners' Negative Behaviors, Increase Intimacy, Personal Problems, Retaliation, Childhood Experiences, Situation/Mood, and Partners' Personal Problems. Differences by women's IPV perpetration and race and/or ethnicity were tested with means representing these seven factors and a computed variable representing self-defense. Although motives differed by perpetration type, main effects for Partners' Negative Behavior, Personal Problems, Retaliation, and Childhood Experiences were modified by interactions, suggesting ethnicity should be considered when developing interventions. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.