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Women's Use of Intimate Partner Aggression: Associations With Sexist Experiences.
Haley A Miles-McLean1,2,3, Christopher M Murphy3, Ana I Maldonado3,4,5
1Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 5 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Violence Against Women
|May 29, 2024
Summary
Women experiencing sexism are more likely to use intimate partner aggression (IPA). Psychological distress mediates this link, highlighting sexism's role in women's IPA.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Criminology
- Gender Studies
Background:
- Identity-based discrimination is linked to intimate partner aggression (IPA).
- Research on sexist discrimination and women's IPA is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between women's experiences of sexist discrimination and their use of IPA.
- To explore potential mediating factors in this relationship.
Main Methods:
- Online self-report measures administered to 626 predominantly white, cisgender, heterosexual women.
- Statistical analyses controlling for stressful experiences and prior gender-based violence.
Main Results:
- Sexist discrimination experiences significantly and positively correlated with IPA use.
- Psychological distress symptoms were found to significantly mediate the relationship between sexist experiences and IPA use.
Conclusions:
- Sexist discrimination is an important factor to consider in understanding women's use of intimate partner aggression.
- Addressing sexism and psychological distress may be crucial in interventions for women exhibiting IPA.
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