Couples and Family Interventions for Intimate Partner Aggression: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Intimate partner aggression (IPA) is a widespread social health problem that impacts not only the couple but the family unit as a whole. The vast majority of interventions have focused on male-to-female violence that consists of dominance and controlling tactics and neglect the therapeutic needs of the couple and their children. Thus, the first goal of this review to discuss the situations in which couples therapy is ethical as well as review the small, but growing literature on the efficacy of couples intervention. The second goal is to review the impact that exposure to IPA has on childhood development and examine the existing intervention and prevention programs for child witnesses. Based on our review, the research suggests that couples interventions are ethical for couples experiencing low-level physical aggression and that these treatments are equally effective as standard treatments for IPA in reducing violence and recidivism. Our review also concludes that individuals who witness IPA between their parents during childhood often exhibit interpersonal and intrapersonal difficulties in adulthood related to this exposure. The existing intervention and prevention programs for child witnesses appear promising.