Relationships matter: What are we missing by treating sexual assault and intimate partner violence perpetration as...

Sexual assault and intimate partner violence occur at alarmingly high rates throughout the world. Each field has developed a large body of research devoted to understanding risk for perpetration. These literatures are largely siloed, although these acts frequently co-occur in people's lives. Many sexual assaults occur between people in committed relationships; however relationship status is not typically considered in data analyses or interpretation of the findings. Standard definitions of intimate partner violence include sexual violence; however, it is often not assessed or considered in data analyses and interpretation of findings. The purpose of this review is to highlight the opportunities for developing shared theories and measures with the expectation that they will allow for new insights into causes and solutions.