Direct and Indirect Effects of Cannabis Risk Perceptions on Cannabis Use Frequency.

Background: Perceived risk of harm associated with cannabis use has decreased in recent decades, particularly among emerging adults who show the highest prevalence of use. Cannabis-related protective behavioral strategies (PBS) are associated with lower cannabis use and fewer consequences; however, individuals who perceive using cannabis as low risk may use cannabis PBS less often. Therefore, using cross-sectional data, we examined the associations between perceived risk of harm associated with cannabis use, cannabis PBS, and cannabis use frequency. Method: Participants were 146 emerging adults between the ages of 18-25 (56.2% female) who reported consuming cannabis at least 3 times/week and completed measures of past-month cannabis use, past three-month use of cannabis PBS, and perceived risk of harm associated with cannabis use. Path analyses examined direct and indirect effects of perceived risk of cannabis-related harm on cannabis frequency through cannabis PBS. Results: Most (66.4%) participants reported no perceived risk of harm associated with occasional cannabis use, whereas 30.1% reported no perceived risk of harm associated with regular cannabis use. Findings indicated a significant indirect effect between perceived risk of harm and cannabis use frequency through cannabis PBS, b = -10.23, SE = 3.80, 95% CI [-17.67, -2.80], p = .007. Conclusions: Among emerging adults who consume cannabis regularly, findings suggest that a greater perceived risk of cannabis-related harm is associated with decreased cannabis use frequency via increased use of cannabis PBS. Although future analyses evaluating causal mechanisms are needed, these findings have clinical implications for harm reduction interventions focused on cannabis use.

Measuring Electronically Shared Rape Myths: Scale Creation and Correlates.

Increased access to information online (e.g., social media) provides opportunities for exposure to rape myths (i.e., false beliefs about incidents of sexual assault). Social media, in particular, may serve a critical role in shaping rape culture. Thus, it is important to identify ways to assess online exposure to rape myths, especially given the influence online exposure may have on offline behaviors. Data were analyzed from 2,609 18-25-year-old participants (mean age = 20.9 years; 46.1% male; 71.6% White) recruited in 2017 through social media to complete an online survey on experiences and perceptions of sexual violence. We used exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA, CFA) to evaluate the relatedness of nine items adapted to reflect rape myths posted by friends on social media. We split the sample into training (50%) and testing (50%) sets for the EFA and CFA, respectively, then evaluated the correlation between experiences of sexual violence, substance use, and social media use and exposure to online rape myths. Eigenvalues (1-factor: 5.509; 2-factor: 0.803; 3-factor: 0.704; 4-factor: 0.482), factor loadings, fit statistics (RMSEA: 0.03; CFI: 0.99; TLI: 0.99; SRMR: 0.057), interpretability, and existing theory supported a 1-factor solution, which was supported by CFA fit statistics (RMSEA: 0.021; CFI: 0.99; TLI: 0.99; SRMR: 0.038). Cronbach's alpha of the nine items was .77. Greater exposure to online rape myths was associated with greater likelihood of attempted rape perpetration (ß = .052, SE = .016, p < .005), rape victimization (ß = .045, SE = .009, p < .005), use of illicit drugs (ß = .021, SE = 0.008, p < .05), being male (ß = .017, SE = .008, p < .05), and being younger (ß = -.008, SE = .002, p < .005). Our findings support assessing exposure to online rape myths, which may be important for informing sexual violence prevention and intervention efforts.

Perceived risk of harm for different methods of cannabis consumption: A brief report.

BACKGROUND: Emerging adults' (EAs; ages 18-25) perceived risk of cannabis-related harms has decreased in recent decades, potentially contributing to their high prevalence of cannabis consumption. With the changing cannabis policy and product landscape, it is critical to understand perceived risk related to different consumption methods (e.g., smoking, dabbing). We examined differences in cannabis risk perceptions by method and consumption patterns. METHODS: EAs recruited from an emergency department (N=359, 71.3% female, 53.5% Black) completed assessments on individual characteristics, cannabis/other substance use, and perceived risk of cannabis-related harm for four different methods (smoking, vaping, dabbing, ingestion) and two use frequencies (occasional, regular). Analyses examined associations between variables of interest and three mutually exclusive groups: no cannabis use, smoking-only, and multiple/other methods. RESULTS: Forty-two percent of EAs reported no past 3-month cannabis use, 22.8% reported smoking only, and 35.1% reported consumption via multiple/other methods. Among all participants, the methods and frequency with the largest number of EAs endorsing any perceived risk from cannabis were dabbing and vaping cannabis regularly; smoking occasionally had the smallest number of EAs endorsing perceived risk. A greater proportion of EAs in the no use group viewed vaping cannabis regularly as having the most risk (63.6%), whereas the largest proportion of EAs in the smoking-only (64.6%) and multiple/other methods (47.2%) groups perceived dabbing regularly as having the most risk. CONCLUSIONS: This work shows that EAs vary in perceptions of risk across methods of cannabis use and can inform potential directions for public health and policy efforts.

Development and Pilot Testing of an Experimental Cannabis Marketplace: Toward Evaluating the Impact of Cannabis Policy on Consumer Choices.

Introduction: The legal landscape of recreational cannabis production and consumption is rapidly expanding, driving a need to inform empirically supported cannabis regulatory policy. A behavioral economic framework integrating economic constructs (e.g., price, substitutability) with psychology and decision-making sciences, has previously been applied to tobacco regulatory sciences through the use of experimental marketplaces. However, experimental marketplaces have not yet been applied to understand cannabis choice behaviors or study ways to minimize risks from use. Herein, we describe the development and initial feasibility testing of an Experimental Cannabis Marketplace (ECM). The ECM can serve as an experimental platform relevant to evaluating the impact of regulatory policies on cannabis choices and use behavior. Methods: The ECM was designed to resemble an online cannabis dispensary. Adults aged 21 and older with past month cannabis use and past month purchase from a recreational dispensary were recruited online. To test the feasibility and acceptability of the ECM, 62 people completed the ECM shopping task and provided feedback on the ECM prototype. Participants also reported about their typical purchases from real-world dispensaries. Results: Nearly all participants rated the ECM as very (80.65%) or somewhat (16.13%) easy to navigate, and rated task instructions as at least mostly clear (100%). The majority (75.81%) said cannabis products available in the ECM were mostly the same or exactly the same as at their typical dispensary. Participant purchase choices in actual dispensary purchases closely matched ECM purchases, with 88% of product choices in typical real-world cannabis dispensaries matching the ECM products purchased. Discussion: Initial testing of the ECM indicates it is an acceptable and feasible tool for understanding cannabis purchasing and choice behavior. These preliminary findings suggest that the ECM mimics cannabis dispensary settings with people making similar choices to those made in the real world.

Alcohol Use and Compulsive Sexual Behaviors in College Students: The Moderating Effect of Alcohol-Related Sexual Expectancies.

Compulsive sexual behaviors (CSB) and alcohol use are prevalent among college students. Alcohol use frequently co-occurs with CSB; however, further examination of risk factors of co-occurring alcohol use and CSB is needed. We examined the moderating effect of alcohol-related sexual expectancies, specifically sexual drive and affect expectancies, on the association between alcohol use/problems and CSB among 308 college students from a large university in the southeastern United States. Alcohol use/problems and CSB had a positive significant relationship among college students high in sexual drive expectancies and high and average in sexual affect expectancies. These findings suggest that alcohol-related sexual expectancies may be a risk factor for alcohol-related CSB.

Sexual Narcissism and Hypersexuality Relate to Sexual Coercion in Hookups among U.S. University Students.

Sexual violence remains a prevalent issue on college campuses. Sexual coercion, a form of sexual violence, is frequently employed within casual sexual encounters (i.e., hookups). The present study investigated hypersexuality and sexual narcissism as unique predictors of sexual coercion and examined whether there were gender differences in these associations. Participants (N = 793, ages 18-25) were undergraduate students at a large southeastern university who have: (1) engaged in sexual activity within the past six months and (2) had at least one prior hookup experience. Respondents completed surveys online assessing levels of sexual narcissism, hypersexuality, and sexual coercion perpetration in hookups. Participants primarily identified as female (71.7%), White (84.2%), and heterosexual (86.6%), with an average of 9.77 sexual engagements per month. Bivariate correlations and independent samples t-tests were conducted to examine associations between and gender differences across study variables, respectively. We assessed the factor structure of study variables using confirmatory factor analysis and tested hypotheses using structural equation modeling. Compared to women, men scored higher on sexual exploitation and all hypersexuality subscales. After establishing good-fitting measurement models, we found that both sexual narcissism and hypersexuality predicted increased sexual coercion perpetration and that gender did not moderate these associations. Study findings demonstrated that sexual narcissism and hypersexuality are risk factors for sexual coercion perpetration in hookups across gender. Although associations were consistent across gender, men may report higher levels of sexual coercion perpetration risk factors. Future researchers could focus on gender differences in the etiology of sexual coercion risk factors.

Contributions of Multimethod Personality Assessment in Indirect Evaluation.

Indirect assessment is a useful tool in forensic evaluation, especially in cases of threat assessment. To this end, we illustrated the ability to conceptualize a complicated case (i.e., Theodore John Kaczynski) using an indirect approach, with a particular emphasis upon dimensional frameworks of personality. Raters who were unrelated to Mr. Kaczynski's case and with expertise in relevant domains were asked to study information available in the public domain about Mr. Kaczynski and provide ratings using several assessment instruments. Our aim was not to provide a professional clinical opinion, but rather engage in scholarly discourse about the utility of instruments. Mr. Kaczynski was rated to demonstrate characteristics associated with lone actor terrorists. He showed an elevation on a measure of psychosis, and raters conceptualized trauma as an important aspect of his functioning. He demonstrated impairments in detachment and psychoticism (Criterion B of the AMPD) and interpersonal functioning (Criterion A of the AMPD). Clinical conceptualizations for Mr. Kaczynski emphasized schizotypal and paranoid personality disorders. This analysis of an infamous case about which considerable data are publicly available demonstrates the ease with which indirect and multimethod assessment can be applied and integrated in forensic assessment, using modern conceptualizations of personality pathology.

Risky Drinking in Adolescents and Emerging Adults: Differences between Individuals Using Alcohol Only versus Polysubstances.

BACKGROUND: Factors related to risky drinking (e.g., motives, protective behavioral strategies [PBS]) may vary between youth who engage in polysubstance use compared to those who consume alcohol only. We examined differences in factors among youth who consume alcohol only compared to alcohol with other substances (i.e., polysubstance use), and correlates associated with risky drinking between the groups. METHODS: Participants (N = 955; ages 16-24; 54.5% female) who reported recent risky drinking completed measures of alcohol/substance use, alcohol-related consequences, drinking motives, alcohol PBS, mental health symptoms, and emotion dysregulation. Participants were in the polysubstance group if they reported using at least one other substance (e.g., cannabis, stimulants) in addition to alcohol in the past three months. Chi-square and t-tests examined differences between the two groups and multiple regression analyses examined correlates of risky drinking. RESULTS: Most participants (70.4%, n = 672) reported polysubstance use; these individuals engaged in riskier patterns of drinking, experienced more alcohol-related consequences, used fewer PBS, had stronger drinking motives (enhancement, social, coping), endorsed more mental health symptoms, and reported more emotion dysregulation. Regression models showed that emotion dysregulation significantly associated with risky drinking in the alcohol-only group; conformity and coping motives, alcohol PBS, and anxiety symptoms significantly associated with risky drinking in the polysubstance group. CONCLUSIONS: Among risky drinking youth, results indicated youth engaging in polysubstance use have greater comorbidities and individual-level factors associated with risky drinking than youth who consume alcohol only. These findings may inform the tailoring of interventions for individuals who engage in risky drinking and polysubstance use.

A randomized controlled trial of social media interventions for risky drinking among adolescents and emerging adults.

PURPOSE: Alcohol use among adolescents and emerging adults is an important public health issue requiring prevention approaches. Herein, we describe outcomes from a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of group-based social media interventions targeting risky drinking among youth. PROCEDURES: Using social media advertisements to screen potential participants, we recruited 955 youth (ages 16-24) reporting recent risky drinking. After completing a baseline assessment, participants were randomized to 8-week secret Facebook group conditions: Social Media Intervention + Incentives for engagement, Social Media Intervention only, and attention-placebo control. Electronic coaches trained in motivational interviewing facilitated interaction in intervention groups. Primary outcomes include past 3-month alcohol use and consequences over 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Secondary outcomes include other drug use, consequences, and impaired driving. We also measured intervention engagement and acceptability. RESULTS: The interventions were well-received, with significantly greater acceptability ratings and engagement in the SMI+I condition relative to other groups. In adjusted analyses, there were no significant differences between interventions and control on alcohol-related outcomes, with all groups showing reductions. Regarding secondary outcomes (70.4% used other drugs), compared to control, the incentivized group reduced other drug use, consequences, and cannabis-impaired driving; the non-incentivized group did not significantly differ from the control condition. CONCLUSIONS: Among this predominantly poly-substance using sample, findings were mixed, with significant effects of the incentivized social media intervention on drug (but not alcohol) outcomes. Future studies are needed to further refine social media-delivered interventions to reduce alcohol and other drug use. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02809586; University of Michigan HUM#00102242.

Contrasting ecological contexts among treatment-seeking military sexual assault survivors: Consideration of relationships with sexual and gender minority identification.

Survivors of military sexual trauma (MST) seeking mental health services may present with concerns extending beyond symptom relief. Attention to social, economic, and coping resource contexts is salient for care consideration. Although those identifying as sexual and gender minorities (SGM) are overrepresented among service members exposed to assaultive MST, research contrasting ecological resource variability among treatment seekers is limited. The present study delineates modifiable risk and protective factors that might be used to inform MST-related health care for Veterans, broadly, and SGM-identifying Veterans, specifically. Veterans (N = 493, 12.8% identifying as SGM) presenting for treatment secondary to military sexual assault completed a semistructured clinical interview and intake survey including demographic characteristics, diversity-related factors, and access to psychosocial resources. SGM/non-SGM-identifying groups were contrasted on individual-, interpersonal-, and community-level ecological characteristics. SGM-identifying Veterans were less likely to report access to sufficient financial resources and had double the prevalence rate of housing instability in contrast to non-SGM-identifying Veterans. No significant differences emerged in terms of past-year interpersonal violence exposure, endorsement of helpful spiritual beliefs, or availability of social support based on SGM identification. Findings underscore the importance of attending to the intersection of SGM identity and ecological factors that can influence Veterans' clinical presentation and treatment engagement. Recommendations for provision of MST services are made. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Risk of Revocation Among Batterers: A Preliminary Analysis of Criminogenic, Intimate Partner Violence, and Mental Health Risks.

This study examined whether criminogenic risk, domestic violence risk, and mental health diagnoses would predict probation revocation among batterers in a felony domestic violence court (FDVC). Review of probation files included baseline assessments and probation disposition for FDVC probationers from January 2014 to March 2018 (n = 64). Results of the binary logistic regression analysis showed that criminogenic risk was a significant predictor of FDVC probation revocation. Interventions to prevent unsuccessful completion of domestic violence courts may benefit from programming that addresses early engagement in treatment, antisocial thinking patterns, and treatment for substance use disorders.

Problematic Pornography Use and Physical and Sexual Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Among Men in Batterer Intervention Programs.

Recent decades witnessed a surge in pornography use, contributing to what some researchers referred to as problematic pornography use (PPU; excessive, compulsive, and uncontrollable pornography use). Informed by cognitive scripts theory, cross-sectional, longitudinal, and experimental research spanning several decades documented a positive association between men's pornography use and physical and sexual violence perpetration. However, there is a paucity of research investigating pornography use broadly, and PPU specifically, among men who perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV). The present cross-sectional study investigated the association between self-reported PPU and physical and sexual IPV perpetration among 273 men in batterer intervention programs. After accounting for psychiatric symptomology and substance use and problems, results revealed a positive association between PPU and both physical and sexual IPV perpetration. Findings highlighted the need for continued investigation of the function of pornography use for violent men, particularly as it relates to physical and sexual IPV perpetration.

Comparative Content Analysis of Self-Report Scales for Level of Personality Functioning.

Content validity analyses of eight self-report instruments for assessing severity of personality disorder (PD), also known as Level of Personality Functioning (LPF), were conducted using the conceptual scheme of the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD; APA, 2013). The item contents of these eight inventories were characterized for the LPF constructs of Identity (ID), Self-Direction (SD), Empathy (EM), and Intimacy (IN) along with the pathological personality trait domains of Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Antagonism, Disinhibition, and Psychoticism. Severity of pathology (SV) reflected in item content was also rated. Raters demonstrated robust agreement for AMPD and SV constructs across instruments. Similarity between instrument AMPD construct profiles was quantified by intraclass correlations (ICC). Results showed the instruments were generally similar in AMPD-construct coverage, but some important differences emerged. The subscales of the instruments also were characterized for the degree to which they reflect the four LPF (ID, SD, EM, IN) domain constructs. Collectively, these content validity comparisons clarify the equivalence of instruments for AMPD constructs and the relative proportions of construct coverage within instrument subscales. These results can inform future research with LPF self-report instruments and guide clinicians in selecting an LPF-related instrument for use in practice.

Alcohol Use and Problems as a Potential Mediator of the Relationship between Emotion Dysregulation and IPV Perpetration.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol use/problems and emotion dysregulation are associated with increased intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. Additionally, alcohol use is an overt coping mechanism for dysregulated emotion. While past research has examined alcohol use/problems as a mediator between emotion dysregulation and IPV, research is limited within clinical samples. The current study sought to fill this gap by examining a theoretical model by which emotion dysregulation and alcohol use/problems influence IPV perpetration in a sample of men arrested for domestic violence. Consistent with prior research, it was hypothesized that alcohol use/problems would mediate the relationship between emotion dysregulation and psychological aggression. Additionally, we hypothesized that emotion dysregulation would positively associate with increased alcohol use/problems, which would relate to increased physical assault perpetration through psychological aggression perpetration. METHOD: Using a cross-sectional sample of 391 men arrested for domestic violence and court-referred to Batterer Intervention Programs (BIP), the present study used structural equation modeling to examine proposed pathways from emotion dysregulation to IPV perpetration directly and indirectly through alcohol use/problems. RESULTS: Alcohol use/problems explained the relation between emotion dysregulation and psychological aggression perpetration. In addition, emotion dysregulation related to psychological aggression which explained the relation between alcohol use/problems and physical assault perpetration. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underline the importance of assessing and addressing emotion dysregulation and alcohol use/problems as risk factors for IPV in existing BIP as well as within theoretical models.

Sexting and Substance Use among Women Arrested for Domestic Violence: A Brief Report.

BACKGROUND: Advances in technology provide opportunities for communication using electronic mediums. Sexting is one form of electronic communication and includes the sending of explicit sexual content (e.g., photos, text) through electronic mediums. Previous research demonstrated a positive association between sexting and behaviors such as substance use. Moreover, substance use increases the risk for intimate partner violence and is also associated with risky behaviors. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of sexting in a sample of 84 women mandated to attend batterer intervention programs following arrest for domestic violence. The associations between sexting, substance use, and intimate partner violence were also examined. METHOD: Participants completed self-report questionnaires that assessed sexting, intimate partner violence, and alcohol and drug use symptoms. RESULTS: Fifty-four percent of participants reported being asked to send a sext, 35.1% reported sending a sext, and 32.0% reported requesting a sext. Drug use symptoms were positively associated with some forms of sexting and intimate partner violence. There was a significant difference in drug use symptoms, such that women who received a request to send a sext had significantly more symptoms relative to women who had not received a request to send a sext. CONCLUSION: This is the first examination of sexting in a sample of women arrested for domestic violence. Findings indicate an association between drug use symptoms, sexting, and intimate partner violence, warranting continued research in this domain.

Cyber Abuse among Men Arrested for Domestic Violence: Cyber Monitoring Moderates the Relationship between Alcohol Problems and Intimate Partner Violence.

OBJECTIVE: We provide the first investigation of the prevalence and frequency of cyber abuse among men arrested for domestic violence (DV). We also offer the first conceptualization of cyber monitoring, a facet of cyber abuse, within the I3 theory of IPV. That is, the risk of IPV perpetration may be higher for men with alcohol problems who also frequently access emotionally-salient instigatory cues, namely, information gleaned from cyber monitoring. Thus, we hypothesized that alcohol problems would positively relate to IPV perpetration among men who engaged in high, but not low, levels of cyber monitoring. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional sample of 216 men arrested for DV and court-referred to batterer intervention programs (BIPs), we explored the prevalence and frequency of cyber abuse perpetration and victimization. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses tested the interaction between cyber monitoring and alcohol problems predicting IPV perpetration (psychological aggression and physical assault). RESULTS: Eighty-one percent of men endorsed perpetrating at least one act of cyber abuse in the year prior to entering BIPs. Alcohol problems and both psychological and physical IPV perpetration positively related at high, but not low, levels of cyber monitoring. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should assess for cyber abuse and alcohol use among DV offenders. Amendments to legal statutes for DV offenders should consider incorporating common uses of technology into legal definitions of stalking and harassment. Social media campaigns and BIPs should increase individuals' awareness of the criminal charges that may result from some forms of cyber abuse and monitoring.

An Examination of Sexting, Sexual Violence, and Alcohol Use Among Men Arrested for Domestic Violence.

Technological advances provide greater opportunity for electronic communication to occur within romantic relationships. Sexting, defined as sending sexually explicit content via electronic mediums, is one such type of communication and its association with alcohol use and partner violence is supported by existing research. We extend this knowledge by examining the prevalence of past-year sexting within a clinical sample of men arrested for domestic violence (N = 312). The associations between sexting, alcohol use, and sexual violence perpetration in the past year were also examined. Findings indicated that sexting was a prevalent behavior among this population, with 60% of the sample having requested a sext from someone, 55% having been asked to send a sext, and 41% having sent a sext within the past year. Logistic regression analyses indicated that sexting was linked to past-year sexual violence perpetration, even after controlling for age and past-year alcohol use. This is the first study to provide evidence that sexting is prevalent among men arrested for domestic violence. Moreover, men who endorsed sexting within the past year were more likely to have perpetrated past-year sexual violence than men who did not engage in sexting. Understanding the relation between sexting and other problematic behaviors, such as alcohol use and sexual violence, will inform intervention efforts across various populations.

Relationships Among Dispositional Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, and Women's Dating Violence Perpetration: A Path Analysis.

Scant research examined mechanisms underlying the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and dating violence (DV) perpetration. Using a cross-sectional design with 203 college women, we examined whether distress tolerance mediated the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and DV perpetration (i.e., psychological aggression and physical assault). Path analyses results revealed indirect effects of mindfulness facets nonjudging of inner experiences and nonreactivity to inner experiences on both psychological aggression and physical assault through distress tolerance. Mindfulness facets observing, describing, and acting with awareness were not linked to DV perpetration through distress tolerance. Results suggest that women who allow internal experiences to come and go without assigning criticism or avoidance are better able to tolerate transient distress and less likely to abuse a dating partner. Future research may examine distress tolerance and dispositional mindfulness facets as potential intervention targets for women who abuse dating partners.

Antisocial Traits, Distress Tolerance, and Alcohol Problems as Predictors of Intimate Partner Violence in Men Arrested for Domestic Violence.

OBJECTIVE: Men with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) traits are at an increased risk for consuming alcohol and perpetrating intimate partner violence (IPV). However, previous research has neglected malleable mechanisms potentially responsible for the link between ASPD traits, alcohol problems, and IPV perpetration. Efforts to improve the efficacy of batterer intervention programs (BIPs) would benefit from exploration of such malleable mechanisms. The present study is the first to examine distress tolerance as one such mechanism linking men's ASPD traits to their alcohol problems and IPV perpetration. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional sample of 331 men arrested for domestic violence and court-referred to BIPs, the present study used structural equation modeling to examine pathways from men's ASPD traits to IPV perpetration directly and indirectly through distress tolerance and alcohol problems. RESULTS: Results supported a two-chain partial mediational model. ASPD traits were related to psychological aggression perpetration directly and indirectly via distress tolerance and alcohol problems. A second pathway emerged by which ASPD traits related to higher levels of alcohol problems, which related to psychological aggression perpetration. Controlling for psychological aggression perpetration, neither distress tolerance nor alcohol problems explained the relation between ASPD traits and physical assault perpetration. CONCLUSION: These results support and extend existing conceptual models of IPV perpetration. Findings suggest intervention efforts for IPV should target both distress tolerance and alcohol problems.

Marijuana use is associated with intimate partner violence perpetration among men arrested for domestic violence.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health problem. Substance use, particularly alcohol, is a robust risk factor for IPV. There is a small but growing body of research demonstrating that marijuana use is positively associated with IPV perpetration. However, research on marijuana use and IPV has failed to control for other known predictors of IPV that may account for the positive association between marijuana use and IPV perpetration. Therefore, the current study examined whether marijuana use was associated with IPV perpetration after controlling for alcohol use and problems, antisocial personality symptoms, and relationship satisfaction, all known risk factors for IPV. Participants were men arrested for domestic violence and court-referred to batterer intervention programs (N = 269). Findings demonstrated that marijuana use was positively and significantly associated with psychological, physical, and sexual IPV perpetration, even after controlling for alcohol use and problems, antisocial personality symptoms, and relationship satisfaction. Moreover, marijuana use and alcohol use and problems interacted to predict sexual IPV, such that marijuana use was associated with sexual IPV at high, but not low, levels of alcohol use and problems. These findings lend additional support to the body of research demonstrating that marijuana use is positively associated with IPV perpetration in a variety of samples. Results suggest that additional, rigorous research is needed to further explore why and under what conditions marijuana is associated with IPV perpetration.