Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Psychology

Supervisor

Joel, Samantha

2nd Supervisor

Campbell, Lorne

Joint Supervisor

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is harmful and prevalent, but leaving abusive partners is often challenging due to investments (e.g., time, cohabitation). Identifying warning signs of abuse is one primary prevention strategy to help people avoid abusive relationships. The present research sought to identify thoughts, feelings, and behaviors which are not considered abusive (Study 1), appear before abuse occurs in relationships (Study 2), and predict abuse (Studies 3 and 4). Study 1 distinguished potential warning signs of abuse from abusive behaviors using the ratings of professionals with experience in IPV. Study 2 established a timeline of when violent behaviors and possible warning signs first occur in romantic relationships and demonstrated that potential warning signs typically appear prior to abuse. Using participants in the first year of their relationship and random forests analyses, Studies 3 and 4 identified warning signs and protective factors that predicted overall, physical, psychological, and sexual abuse cross-sectionally (Study 3) and prospectively over the span of six months (Study 4). Importantly, abuse also occurred in early stages of some relationships, and was the best predictor of future abuse. Studies 3 and 4 further demonstrated that the number of warning signs a person experienced and the frequency with which they experienced those warning signs predicted overall abuse. Seven warning signs emerged as predictors in both studies (e.g., “My partner acted arrogant or entitled”), suggesting these are particularly important for identifying potentially abusive relationships. Some warning signs and risk factors identified in this research also align with multiple theories of IPV (e.g., feminist theories, social learning theories), which suggests that integrating multiple theories explaining IPV (“theory knitting”) may be an effective strategy in IPV prevention. The warning signs identified in this research can be used in education efforts such as educational programs or informational websites. Making these warning signs publicly available is a key step in empowering people to seek support or leave their partners before becoming heavily invested in a relationship and before experiencing abuse. Ultimately, this research provides a greater understanding of precursors of intimate partner violence with implications for prevention efforts in academic and public contexts.

Summary for Lay Audience

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an incredibly harmful and common phenomenon, but leaving abusive relationships is often challenging. Individuals are more likely to stay in or return to violent relationships if they have put more time, energy, and other resources into the relationships. Thus, people in potentially abusive relationships need strategies to help them recognize signs of violence as early as possible. Identifying warning signs of abuse is one strategy to help people avoid abusive relationships. The present research identified warning signs which are not considered abusive (Study 1), appear before abuse occurs in relationships (Study 2), and predict abuse (Studies 3 and 4). Specifically, Study 1 distinguished warning signs from abusive behaviors using the ratings of professionals with experience in IPV. Study 2 established a timeline of when violent behaviors and warning signs first occur in romantic relationships and showed that warning signs typically appear prior to abuse. Study 3 identified warning signs that predicted different forms of abuse at the same time point, and Study 4 identified warning signs that predicted abuse six months in the future. Both studies identified warning signs that predicted different types of abuse (e.g., physical, psychological, sexual). Studies 3 and 4 further showed that experiencing multiple different warning signs, and experiencing those signs frequently, also predicted abuse. Seven warning signs were found to be predictors in both studies (e.g., “My partner acted arrogant or entitled”), suggesting these are particularly useful for identifying potentially abusive relationships. Importantly, warning signs and early instances of abuse appeared within the first few months of many relationships in Studies 2, 3, and 4, suggesting abuse may occur sooner than previously anticipated. The warning signs identified in this research can be used in education efforts such as educational programs or informational websites. Making these warning signs publicly available is a key step in empowering people to seek support or leave their partners before becoming heavily invested in a relationship and before experiencing abuse. Ultimately, this research provides a greater understanding of precursors of intimate partner violence with implications for prevention efforts in academic and public contexts.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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