Current and Past Research
One Size Does Not Fit All in Treatment of Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence
Current one-size-fits all interventions do not do justice the empirically identified heterogeneity with respect to type of violence and characteristics of perpetrators. Neither the earlier nor more recent meta-analytic reviews of traditional Batterer Intervention Programs provide convincing evidence of the effectiveness of such programs, especially if the analyses are based on the most rigorous experimental designs. (Babcock, Greene & Robie, 2004; Eckhardt et al., 2013) There is a need to study the moderators of treatment outcome. The question becomes one of not whether the programs work but under what conditions do they work and for whom. There is a continued need to match interventions with perpetrator characteristics and assess differential outcomes of matched interventions compared to one size fits all approaches, and not just whether an intervention applied individually is more effective than applied in group.
Hormonal Assessment in Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence
The current proposal seeks to measure levels of testosterone and cortisol (at baseline and in the laboratory) to compare their ratios in men on probation for intimate partner violence who are only aggressive towards their family (“family-only” subtype) to those men who are more generally aggressive in multiple contexts (“generally aggressive” subtype). Procedures will include two laboratory visits consisting of questionnaires, and a number of salivary testosterone and cortisol collections. The current study aims to further clarify the relationship between the testosterone, cortisol and aggressive behavior in males. We hypothesize that a ratio of high testosterone to reactive cortisol (T/rC) will differentiate between generally aggressive men, and those who are not generally aggressive. Further hypotheses include prediction of T/rC using questionnaire data. Results have the potential to provide a framework for future research on hormonal biomarkers and contribute to issues of prediction, prevention and treatment of aggression.
The Moderating Effect of Cognitive Flexibility on the Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption and Intimate Partner Violence
The present study seeks to contribute to the literature on cognitive risk factors of intimate partner violence by exploring the role of one's inability to adjust one's cognitions based on contextual factors (cognitive flexibility) in the association between a known situational risk factor (alcohol consumption) and male-perpetrated intimate partner violence in a sample of Hispanic young adult males. By understanding the role of cognitive flexibility in the relationship between alcohol and intimate partner violence among Hispanic young adult males, we can reformulate how we conceptualize, design, and implement interventions for intimate partner violence perpetrators with alcohol consumption comorbidity that is culture-specific.
Ability of Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence to Recognize Emotions Based on Facial Expressions
The current study is designed to examine the relationship between the severity of intimate partner violence (IPV), empathy, emotional regulation, and facial affect recognition abilities when comparing IPV perpetrators attending an intervention program for perpetrators of intimate partner violence with non-intimate partner violent males. In addition, the differences between family only and generally violent perpetrators in facial recognition abilities will also be studied. A better understanding of how perpetrators of physical violence interpret facial expressions and the mediating effect of emotion regulation and empathy may lead to the development and implementation of other interventions that may be more effective and lead to a decrease in IPV recidivism.
Characteristics and Types of Violence in Female Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence on Probation
This study will examine the characteristics of female perpetrators on probation and assess what type of violence female perpetrators use and their classification as generally violent or family-only violent perpetrators.
The Influence of Resilience on Academic Outcomes in Undergraduate Survivors of Interparental Violence and Child Abuse
This study's overarching purpose will be to explore the academic outcomes of undergraduates who have experienced both child abuse and witnessed interparental violence and the resiliency factors that may influence the future of individuals by increasing positive outcomes. Most studies have focused on the negative outcomes that lead to adverse consequences, such as receiving poor grades or dropping out of school. As such, this study will take on a strength-based approach by focusing on positive outcomes that have had an influence on undergraduates who have experienced trauma to succeed academically.
The Influence of Psychopathology on Attitudes and Behavioral Patterns in Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration
Depression, anxiety, PTSD, antisocial PD, and borderline PD are all significant correlates for both IPV victimization and perpetration (Spencer et al., 2019). These results are consistent with prior research, showing that difficulties with anger and emotion regulation are associated with IPV perpetration (Birkley & Eckhardt, 2015; Langer & Lawrence, 2010) and with violence recidivism after IPV treatment (Farzan-Kashani & Murphy, 2017), and indicate that expectancies regarding the positive effects of perpetuating abuse may be a critical treatment target in efforts to alter these patterns. Positive outcome expectancies from perpetuating violence have been associated with lower readiness to change, whereas negative expectances from perpetuating has been associated with higher readiness to change. Therefore, this study will take a holistic approach on how psychopathology influences attitudes and behavioral patters in intimate partner violence perpetration in order to provide what may influence recidivism, as well as what can help to prevent recidivism.
The Influence of Social Support on Severity of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration
Consistent social support has the ability of increasing a person’s self-control and alleviates high levels of anger, which reduces the chances of committing criminal behavior (Colvin et al., 2002). It is theorized that social support may serve to reduce risk for IPV victimization and perpetration by encouraging help seeking following an episode of IPV, increasing self-efficacy to engage in behaviors to prevent further episodes of IPV, as well as increasing the likelihood that an individual would leave a relationship that involves IPV (Dias et al., 2019). Therefore, this study will explore how social support influences the severity of intimate partner violence perpetration by mainly focusing on how higher social support reduces the severity of IPV perpetration.
Teen Dating Violence in a Sample of Rio Grande Valley High School Students
The following hypotheses have been established: (a) It is hypothesized that witnessing interparental violence will make it more likely that an adolescent will perpetrate violence against his or her partner via two possible pathways. Witnessing interparental violence as a child can result in (1) difficulties with emotional regulation and/or (2) beliefs that support the use of violence. as compared to a direct effect of witnessing interparental violence without the aforementioned mediators being present. Those adolescents who have deficits in emotional regulation will be more prone to engaging in reactive violence towards their partners. Those perpetrators who have developed beliefs and attitude that support the use of violence will be more likely to engage in proactive violence. (b) Greater instances of teen dating violence perpetration will result when adolescents have a greater propensity to resort to a reactive aggressive response due to an impaired capacity for behavioral regulation. Alcohol consumption will exacerbate the violent acts such that more severe violent acts will be committed when the perpetrator who has difficulty regulating his/her emotions has been drinking. (c) the greater the number of adverse life events the more IPV the adolescent will engage in and this relationship will be moderated by the adolescent’s difficulty regulating emotions, having experienced adverse life events (i.e. low socioeconomic status, abuse/neglect, witnessing interparental violence) will moderate relations between adolescent dating violence perpetration such that relations will be stronger for teens with an adverse life history. High school students from four different high schools in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district: 1) PSJA Early College High School 2) PSJA Memorial Early College High School 3) PSJA North Early College High School 4) PSJA Thomas Jefferson T-STEM Early College High School will be assessed. Results have the potential to provide a framework for future research on teen dating violence, a precursor to intimate partner violence in adults, and contribute to issues of prediction, prevention and treatment of teen dating violence and concurrently intimate partner violence. This study will be particularly helpful with respect to understanding the cultural context of dating violence in the Rio Grande Valley.
The Mediation of Jealousy and Anger on the Interaction of Partners' Attachment Styles and Impulsivity on Intimate Partner Violence in College Student Couples
The significance of this study is to inform IPV researchers and clinicians of the importance of considering dyadic characteristics into account when researching, treating, and assessing both male and female perpetrated IPV. Furthermore, this study will contribute to the literature on attachment and IPV by (1) examining the interaction of both partners’ attachment styles and impulsivity and the mediating effects of jealousy and anger on IPV, and (2) focusing on a population that is primarily Hispanic instead of Caucasian. The hypotheses are as follow: 1) Overall, based on findings from previous literature, attachment anxiety will relate more with IPV perpetration than attachment avoidance. 2) However, when examining the interaction of partners’ attachment styles on IPV, the highest rates of violence would be found among couples where one partner is high in attachment avoidance but low on attachment anxiety and the other is high on attachment anxiety but low on attachment avoidance. 3) Moreover, jealousy and anger will mediate the relationship between attachment anxiety; in other words, high levels of attachment anxiety will be related to both high levels of jealousy and anger, which in turn will be associated with IPV perpetration. 4) Anger, but not jealousy, will mediate the relationship between attachment avoidance and IPV; high levels of attachment avoidance will be related to high levels of anger which in turn will be associated with IPV perpetration. 5) Impulsivity will moderate the relationship between insecure attachment and intimate partner violence; with higher impulsivity increasing the likelihood that an insecurely attached individual would perpetrate IPV.
A Comparison Among Athletes and Non-Athletes Perceived Stress Level and It's Relationship to Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration in a Sample of College Students in The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The significance of this study is to gain insight on how additional stressors, such as being a part of a collegiate level sport team, weighs in on an athlete’s overall aggression and likelihood to perpetrate violence in their intimate relationship. The following are the tentative hypothesis: 1) a collegiate level sport athlete will report higher levels of stress which will be correlated with more frequent instances of aggression as compared to non-athletes; substance abuse will moderate these relations.