Social Learning Theory, Gender, and Intimate Partner Violent Victimization: A Structural Equations Approach

Area of Science:

• Criminology
• Sociology
• Psychology

Background:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant social issue.
• Social Learning Theory (SLT) has been used to explain IPV perpetration.
• The applicability of SLT to IPV victimization requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the utility of Akers's Social Learning Theory (SLT) in explaining intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization.
• To integrate the Intergenerational Transmission of Violence Theory (IGT) to broaden SLT's scope for victimization.
• To explore gender-specific pathways within the causal structure of IPV victimization.

Main Methods:

• Employed structural equation modeling (SEM).
• Utilized self-report data from a college student sample.
• Tested the predictive validity and gender invariance of the SLT model for IPV victimization.

Main Results:

• Findings largely support the extension of SLT to explain IPV victimization and perpetration.
• The social learning process influencing IPV is demonstrably not gender invariant.
• Mixed findings suggest nuances in the direct applicability of SLT across genders.

Conclusions:

• SLT provides a valuable framework for understanding IPV victimization, aligning with previous research on perpetration.
• The non-gender-invariant nature of the social learning process in IPV is a critical finding with significant implications.
• Future research should consider gender-specific factors when applying SLT to IPV.