Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrated by Men Seeking Help: The Explanatory Roles of Psychological Distress and Affect Dysregulation.

Despite an increase in research initiatives and prevention campaigns, intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a public health problem that affects many victims worldwide. The current study aims to examine whether psychological distress symptoms (anger, depression, and anxiety) are indirectly related to the perpetration of IPV (physical assault, psychological abuse, and coercive control) through affect dysregulation (AD) in men seeking help. Online questionnaires assessing psychological distress symptoms, AD, and violent behaviors were completed by 335 adult men entering treatment for IPV. A path analysis model revealed the indirect associations between psychological distress symptoms and higher IPV perpetration through higher AD. Symptoms of anger were indirectly related to the three forms of perpetrated IPV through higher AD. Symptoms of depression were, directly and indirectly, related to the three forms of perpetrated IPV through higher AD. Finally, symptoms of anxiety were directly related to lower physical assault perpetration, and indirectly related to higher physical assault and coercive control perpetration through higher AD. The final model explained 10% of the variance in perpetrated physical assault, 23% of the variance in perpetrated psychological abuse, and 13% of the variance in perpetrated coercive control. These results underline the necessity of assessing and addressing symptoms of psychological distress and AD among men perpetrators in the treatment of IPV.

Childhood Sexual Abuse, Dyadic Empathy, and Intimate Partner Violence Among Men Seeking Psychological Help.

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and intimate partner violence (IPV) have both been associated with numerous negative repercussions. The first aim of this study is to understand IPV perpetrated by men within a clinical population, by examining the effects of two potential predictors: CSA and dyadic empathy (cognitive and emotional). The second aim of this study is to explore whether dyadic empathy is an intermediary variable of the association between CSA and IPV. A sample of 198 men (aged 18-69 years old) who were seeking help for relationship problems, completed a set of self-administered questionnaires. While controlling for social desirability and family violence history, our findings outlined the mediating and moderating role of dyadic empathy in the link between CSA and perpetrated psychological, but not physical, IPV. Emotional empathy mediated and moderated the link between CSA and psychological IPV, whereas cognitive empathy only moderated this link. The examination of the direct links between the variables also revealed that CSA was related to lower emotional empathy and higher rates of both types of IPV. In addition, cognitive empathy was negatively associated with physical and psychological IPV, whereas emotional empathy was positively associated with psychological IPV. This study contributes to the literature by documenting some of the mechanisms that could explain the perpetration of IPV and highlights the importance of investigating CSA and empathy in men who are seeking help.

Attachment Insecurities and Sexual Coercion in Same- and Cross-Gender Couples: The Mediational Role of Couple Communication Patterns.

The use of subtle strategies to have sex with an unwilling partner is harmful to a couple's sexual well-being but these strategies remain understudied. This research examined the mediating role of communication patterns in the associations between attachment insecurities and sustained sexual coercion in 145 same- and cross-gender couples, and the moderating role of partners' gender. In addition to actor and partner effects, results revealed significant indirect effects from attachment insecurities to sexual coercion via communication patterns, with moderating effects of gender. Results may help practitioners and researchers understand the ways attachment insecurities and dysfunctional communication patterns can manifest in the experience of subtle forms of sexual coercion within couples.