Women's Use of Violence Within Intimate Relationships

Abstract

This article presents a review of research findings that investigate women's use of violence in intimate relationships, as well as the phenomena of increased arrests of women in domestic violence disputes. A brief outline of the extant national/regional data concerning the use of intimate partner violence (IPV) by men and women is presented. This is followed by a review of findings from data collected on smaller samples concerning differences between male and female IPV and genderized reactions, most notably to the differential physical, psychological, and emotional impact of IPV. Measurement methods that impact these national, regional, and local findings are discussed, followed by a review of what little is known about female arrests and “dual battering.” An integration of the literature shows that a mere “count” of IPV by gender de-contextualizes and obscures the negative effects of violence against women, women's motivations for using IPV, and the meaning of recent increased arrests of women who resort to IPV.