Frequency and Severity of Psychological Abuse in a Dating Population

Abstract

The Psychological Maltreatment of Women Inventory was modified and used to assess the occurrence of psychological abuse in 1,625 college-age males and females. Six reliable factors were extracted from the scale reflecting the following concepts: positive behaviors, diminishment of self-esteem, verbal abuse, social and emotional control, jealousy, and withdrawal. Males currently involved in a relationship at the time the questionnaire was administered reported higher levels of psychological abuse and fewer positive behaviors than did females. However, the occurrence of psychologically abusive behaviors within a relationship were likely to result in a lower relationship satisfaction rating for both males and females. In addition, women in more formally committed relationships were most likely to report psychological abuse. Finally, the termination of a relationship was associated with an absence of positive behaviors, rather than a high frequency of negative behaviors. These findings are discussed with respect to physically abusive relationships.