Battering in a population of adolescent females

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of battering in a population of adolescent females, to gain information regarding the impact of battering on their health, and to test a portion of the Campbell and Humphreys (1984) framework, which states that our patriarchal society and the resulting machismo attitudes toward women are the cause of battering. If the framework is correct, partners who batter would possess characteristics indicative of machismo. The sample for this descriptive study consisted of a convenience sample of 59 females from a shelter for displaced teens. The subjects provided information on themselves and 92 male partners via interviews. Of 59 subjects, 69% had been battered before the age of 18 and 41.5% had been battered during pregnancy. Health care problems were frequent in all the subjects, especially depression and suicidal ideation. The nonbattered and battered subjects as well as their partners were compared with respect to several demographic variables. There was a statistically significant higher rate of reported qualities of machismo among batterers when compared with nonbatterers. Recommendations include suggestions for further research.