Hazardous alcohol use and intimate partner aggression among dating couples: The role of impulse control difficulties
Abstract
To date, research identifying moderators of the alcohol-intimate partner aggression (IPA) relationship has focused almost exclusively on male-perpetrated aggression, without accounting for the dyadic processes of IPA. The current study examined hazardous alcohol use and impulse control difficulties as predictors of IPA among a sample of 73 heterosexual dating couples. Both actor and partner effects of these risk factors on physical and psychological aggression were examined. Results indicated that impulse control difficulties were an important actor and partner predictor of both physical and psychological aggression. Findings supported the multiple threshold model such that the interaction between impulse control difficulties and hazardous alcohol use significantly predicted physical aggression severity. These results suggest the importance of targeting impulse control difficulties and hazardous alcohol use in IPA treatment, as well as the advantages of examining risk factors of IPA within a dyadic rather than individual framework.
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These factors are linked to violence and aggression, which suggests that mindfulness may moderate the alcohol-dating violence association.
“These factors are associated with violence and aggression (Birkley & Eckhardt, 2015; Watkins, Maldonado, & DiLillo, 2014), potentially suggesting a moderating role of mindfulness in the association between alcohol use and DV.”
From Understanding the Role of Alcohol, Anxiety, and Trait Mindfulness in the Perpetration of Physical and Sexual Dating Violence in Emerging Adults. (2018) · cites this paper as Watkins, Maldonado, & DiLillo, 2014
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“Selfcontrol has been found to interact with other well-known predictors of IPV that focus on situational factors related to inhibition such as alcohol use (Watkins et al., 2014).”
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- Authors
- Watkins, L. E., Maldonado, R. C., & DiLillo, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln (US)
- Corresponding author
- Watkins, Laura E.
- Venue
- Aggressive Behavior
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2014-01-24
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 369-381
- ISSN
- 0096-140X (ISSN-L)
- 1098-2337
- OpenAlex
- W1626045413
- Cited by
- 50
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 6
- FWCI
- 10.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Aggressive Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Lincoln (University of Nebraska) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Intimate Partner and Family Violence
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Keywords
- hazardous drinking, intimate partner aggression, impulse control difficulties, dating couples, physical aggression, psychological aggression, dyadic processes, actor-partner effects
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aggression, Alcoholism, Female, Humans, Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders, Male, Spouse Abuse, Young Adult
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