Abstract
In the last years, intimate partner violence (IPV) became a relevant problem for community and for social life, particularly in young people. Its correct assessment and evaluation in the population is mandatory. Our objectives were: Confirm factor structure of Dating Violence Questionnaire (DVQ) and investigate its convergent and divergent validity. The DVQ along with other personality measures were filled by a sample of 418 university students (Females = 310) of average age of 23 y.o. (SD = 4.71). A subsample of participants (223 students) consented in being involved also in retest and filled also the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (short form) and a brief scale for describing the behavior of the (past) partner after the breaking of the relationship (BRS). The 8-factor structure, with respect to the two other competing models, reported better fit indexes and showed significant correlations with other personality measures. Personality traits, both Neuroticism and Psychoticism, correlated with Sexual Violence, while Detachment correlated only with Neuroticism and Coercion, Humiliation and Physical Violence correlated with only Psychoticism. Extraversion did not report significant relationships with any of the 8 DVQ factors. Also the predictive validity of DVQ was satisfactory with the partner violent reaction to the break of relationship predicted positively predicted by Coercion (b = 0.22) and by Humiliation (b = 0.20) and negatively by Emotional Punishment (b = -0.18). The present results indicate a good factor structure of the questionnaire, and interesting correlations with personality traits, allowing to identify psychological aspects with a predisposing role for anti-social aggressive behaviors. Further studies will be aimed at ascertaining other possible determinants of intimate partner violence and the weight of cultural aspects.
Highlights
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) or domestic violence, consists of physical, psychological and sexual forms of abuse as well as controlling behaviors against an intimate partner.PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0126089 May 19, 2015Italian Adaptation of Dating Violence Questionnaire (DVQ)Psychological IPV refers to offensive or degrading behavior toward the partner: threats, ridicule, and withholding affection
Provided the psychometric strengths and potentialities of DVQ, considered the fact that it has been developed for young people and its potential value for guiding prevention programs, and because of possible similarities between Italian and Spanish culture, our aim is to adapt the DVQ to Italian language
About 12,7% (N = 53) of participants reported that in the past they have been afraid of their partner, and 27.7% of participants (N = 116) reported feelings of being trapped in the relationship (Item 44: Did you ever feel the sensation of being trapped in your romantic relationship?), while 71 participants (17.0%) reported the experience of being maltreated by their partner (Item 45: Did you ever feel maltreated by your partner?)
Summary
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) or domestic violence, consists of physical, psychological and sexual forms of abuse as well as controlling behaviors against an intimate partner.PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0126089 May 19, 2015Italian Adaptation of DVQPsychological IPV refers to offensive or degrading behavior toward the partner: threats, ridicule, and withholding affection. Psychological IPV has a higher prevalence than physical IPV and has been identified as a correlate and antecedent to physical IPV [1][2] It has recently evolved from being considered a circumscribed, domestic problem involving the private life of citizens, to a great and relevant problem for community and for social life [2]. Heise’s ecological framework [5] claims that the right approach to this phenomenon have to focus on its complexity and should take into consideration the different levels of IPV, i.e. individual, family/relationship, community and societal Based on this premises, several investigations have been proposed trying to assess the specific risk factors for IPV, as for example the role of perpetrators’ alcohol consumption [6] the socioeconomic status [7] or childhood experiences of violence [8] or personality factors that predispose aggressive and anti-social behaviors [9]
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