Behavior Sequence Analysis of Victims’ Accounts of Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) relates not only to physical forms of abuse, but also psychological, emotional, economic, and financial controlling behaviors. IPV is a dynamic, complex phenomenon that occurs over a relatively long period of time. While several measures of IPV exist, a method that can track the progression and escalation of such behaviors in relationships could offer more understanding and highlight key intervention points for individuals in such relationships. Behavior Sequence Analysis is used in the current research to map the chain and progression of behaviors in multiple real-world cases of IPV. Results indicate clear sequential clusters of behaviors such as physical and psychological abuse, and coercive controlling behaviors such as gaslighting, restricting movement, and removing freedoms. Overall, this research stands as a foundation framework to build a greater understanding of the processes and pathways of IPV, and offers workers in the field a novel method to assist with interviewing and intervening in such cases.

Control and Intimate Partner Aggression

<p>Control is fundamental to theoretical conceptualizations of intimate partner aggression (IPA). In particular, it has been instrumental in the development of typologies of IPA, where control has been associated with more frequent and serious IPA carried out by men against women. Consequently, the concept of control has heavily influenced the design of treatment and legislation targeting partner violence. However, there is considerable theoretical divergence as to how control should be conceptualized, operationalized, and measured. This thesis comprises a series of studies designed to test the validity of some of the key theoretical assumptions that inform the common conceptualizations of control by examining control as a behavior, as a motivation, and as an outcome. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the thesis rationale and objectives. Chapter 2 investigated the theoretical assumption that non-physical ‘controlling behaviors’ (e.g., restricting access to money; threatening harm) comprise a unique form of IPA. Exploratory (N = 561) and confirmatory (N = 424) factor analyses on 54 measures used across the IPA literature identified three forms of aggression: Eclectic Aggression, Direct Psychological Aggression, Monitoring Acts. There was no evidence for a distinct form of ‘controlling behaviors’. Chapter 3 systematically reviewed the literature on motivations for physical and psychological IPA. The review aimed to appraise the quality of the literature and ascertain which motivations had the largest effect sizes. A meta-analysis of the motivations for physical IPA suggested self-defense, retaliation for emotional hurt, and communication difficulties had larger effect sizes than control. Chapter 4 investigated the assumptions that control motivations are associated with more severe and frequent IPA and IPA perpetrated by men. Categorical principal and latent class analyses (N = 1166) found considerable heterogeneity in motivations for IPA for both genders, but no evidence of distinct patterns or profiles of controlling motivations for either men or women. Chapter 5 investigated the assumptions that coercive control is experienced exclusively by women and is related to experiencing specific types and more frequent IPA (N = 1174). Evidence did not support a “coercive control” pattern or profile in people who experienced IPA, or that coercive control outcomes were gendered, or associated with the type or the frequency of IPA behaviors used. Regressing the item-average of coercive control outcomes on experiences of IPA in a path analysis provided some evidence that gender and experiences of physical and psychological aggression predicted feelings of coercive control. Collectively, the results of the thesis identified considerable heterogeneity in the patterns of behaviors, motivations and outcomes for IPA. The evidence challenges existing conceptualizations of control as a distinct and gendered construct and indicates the need for the development of a theoretical explanation of control, that is both gender-inclusive and multi-factorial, to guide future research.</p>

Control and Intimate Partner Aggression

<p>Control is fundamental to theoretical conceptualizations of intimate partner aggression (IPA). In particular, it has been instrumental in the development of typologies of IPA, where control has been associated with more frequent and serious IPA carried out by men against women. Consequently, the concept of control has heavily influenced the design of treatment and legislation targeting partner violence. However, there is considerable theoretical divergence as to how control should be conceptualized, operationalized, and measured. This thesis comprises a series of studies designed to test the validity of some of the key theoretical assumptions that inform the common conceptualizations of control by examining control as a behavior, as a motivation, and as an outcome. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the thesis rationale and objectives. Chapter 2 investigated the theoretical assumption that non-physical ‘controlling behaviors’ (e.g., restricting access to money; threatening harm) comprise a unique form of IPA. Exploratory (N = 561) and confirmatory (N = 424) factor analyses on 54 measures used across the IPA literature identified three forms of aggression: Eclectic Aggression, Direct Psychological Aggression, Monitoring Acts. There was no evidence for a distinct form of ‘controlling behaviors’. Chapter 3 systematically reviewed the literature on motivations for physical and psychological IPA. The review aimed to appraise the quality of the literature and ascertain which motivations had the largest effect sizes. A meta-analysis of the motivations for physical IPA suggested self-defense, retaliation for emotional hurt, and communication difficulties had larger effect sizes than control. Chapter 4 investigated the assumptions that control motivations are associated with more severe and frequent IPA and IPA perpetrated by men. Categorical principal and latent class analyses (N = 1166) found considerable heterogeneity in motivations for IPA for both genders, but no evidence of distinct patterns or profiles of controlling motivations for either men or women. Chapter 5 investigated the assumptions that coercive control is experienced exclusively by women and is related to experiencing specific types and more frequent IPA (N = 1174). Evidence did not support a “coercive control” pattern or profile in people who experienced IPA, or that coercive control outcomes were gendered, or associated with the type or the frequency of IPA behaviors used. Regressing the item-average of coercive control outcomes on experiences of IPA in a path analysis provided some evidence that gender and experiences of physical and psychological aggression predicted feelings of coercive control. Collectively, the results of the thesis identified considerable heterogeneity in the patterns of behaviors, motivations and outcomes for IPA. The evidence challenges existing conceptualizations of control as a distinct and gendered construct and indicates the need for the development of a theoretical explanation of control, that is both gender-inclusive and multi-factorial, to guide future research.</p>

How coaches’ need-supportive and controlling behaviors are related to different (mal)adaptive outcomes in water polo players: a person-centered approach

The relationship between both coaches’ need-supportive and controlling behaviors and different athletes’ motivational outcomes has been previously examined. However, little is known about the coexistence of coaches’ need-supportive and controlling behaviors in the sports context and even less, about what coach’s motivating style configuration may yield the most and the least adaptive pattern of outcomes in relation to athletes’ motivating experiences. Grounded in self-determination theory (SDT), this study aimed to identify coach motivating style groups based on athletes’ perceptions of need-supportive and four controlling behaviors (i.e., controlling use of rewards, negative conditional regard, intimidation, and personal control), and to examine their differences in terms of athletes’ motivational outcomes and sport commitment. Using a sample of 658 young water polo players (Mage = 14.76, SD = 1.36), results revealed five distinct coach motivating style groups. A coexistence of need-supportive and controlling use of rewards was identified among athletes in two groups. The “very low support-high control” group yielded the most maladaptive outcomes, while the “high support-low control” group was the most optimal style, even when compared to coaches that combined high need-supportive and controlling practices. This study provides deeper insights on how athletes may perceive simultaneously coach’s need-supportive and controlling behaviors, and how some controlling practices imply a higher motivational cost among athletes.

Data-Driven Analysis for Understanding Team Sports Behaviors

Understanding the principles of real-world biological multi-agent behaviors is a current challenge in various scientific and engineering fields. The rules regarding the real-world biological multi-agent behaviors such as those in team sports are often largely unknown due to their inherently higher-order interactions, cognition, and body dynamics. Estimation of the rules from data, i.e., via data-driven approaches such as machine learning, provides an effective way to analyze such behaviors. Although most data-driven models have non-linear structures and high predictive performances, it is sometimes hard to interpret them. This survey focuses on data-driven analysis for quantitative understanding of behaviors in invasion team sports such as basketball and football, and introduces two main approaches for understanding such multi-agent behaviors: (1) extracting easily interpretable features or rules from data and (2) generating and controlling behaviors in visually-understandable ways. The first approach involves the visualization of learned representations and the extraction of mathematical structures behind the behaviors. The second approach can be used to test hypotheses by simulating and controlling future and counterfactual behaviors. Lastly, the potential practical applications of extracted rules, features, and generated behaviors are discussed. These approaches can contribute to a better understanding of multi-agent behaviors in the real world.

Association Between Intimate Partner Violence and Contraceptive Use in India: Exploring the Moderating Role of Husband’s Controlling Behaviors

Existing studies show a mixed relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and contraceptive use. This study assesses the association between women’s exposure to IPV and contraceptive use in India. Furthermore, we aim to determine whether husband’s controlling behaviors play a moderating role in the IPV-contraception link. We used nationally representative data from the recent round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), conducted in 2015-2016. In this study, the use of contraceptives is the outcome variable, categorized into three groups: no/traditional methods, modern methods, and female sterilization. Women’s exposure to IPV in the past year is the key exposure of interest. Socio-economic and demographic variables were used as covariates. Multinomial logistic regression models were performed to examine the association between women’s exposure to IPV and contraceptive use. Of the total participants ( N = 58,891), approximately one in every four women (24.1%) experienced any form of IPV in the past year. Slightly over half (50.8%) reported using either traditional methods of contraception or no contraceptive at all. About 14% of the respondents were using modern methods of contraception and 34.9% had undergone sterilization. After controlling for confounding factors, women who experienced IPV were 8% (95% CI [.87, .99]) less likely to report using modern contraceptives than those who did not face any IPV. Conversely, women who faced IPV were 14% (95% CI [1.09, 1.20]) more likely to undergo sterilization. Furthermore, women who experienced any form of IPV and whose husbands endorse controlling attitudes were 12% (95% CI [.81, .95]) less likely to report using modern contraceptives and 11% (95% CI [1.04, 1.17]) more likely to undergo sterilization. Interventions should be made to prevent violence against women that would increase their ability to choose appropriate contraception methods to avoid unintended pregnancies.

Conflictual Accountability: Behavioral Responses to Conflictual Accountability of Agencies

In contemporary public governance, leaders of public organizations are faced with multiple, and oftentimes conflictual, accountability claims. Drawing upon a survey of CEO’s of agencies in seven countries, we explore whether and how conflictual accountability regimes relate to strategic behaviors by agency-CEO’s and their political principals. The presence of conflictual accountability is experienced as a major challenge and is associated with important behavioral responses by those CEO’s. This article demonstrates empirically how conflictual accountability is related to (a) controlling behaviors by principals, (b) constituency building behaviors by agencies, and (c) a general pattern of intensified contacts and information processing by both parties.

Perceptions of Contexts of Intimate Partner Violence Among Young, Partnered Gay, Bisexual and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States

There has been a growth in research illustrating that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at rates that are comparable to those among heterosexual women. However, the majority of research on IPV among same-sex male couples has focused on adults, and research on the experience of IPV among younger men (those aged under 18), remains at a nascent stage, despite knowledge that IPV is often common among younger men. This article adds to the growing body of literature on IPV among young GBMSM (YGBMSM) through of an analysis of qualitative data from in-depth interviews (IDI) with GBMSM aged 15–19 ( n = 30) in romantic relationships partnerships. The study sought to explore issues of relationship development, relationship contexts, and understandings of IPV. More than one-half of the sample reported experiencing some form of IPV in their current or past relationships. Participants described a range of experiences of IPV, including physical IPV, emotional IPV, sexual IPV, and controlling behaviors. Emotional IPV in the form of negative comments and controlling behaviors such as jealousy were the most commonly reported forms of violence behaviors. Although few participants reported experiencing physical or sexual IPV, several discussed concerns about giving, and partners’ acknowledging, sexual consent. Antecedents to IPV included wanting or feeling pressured to participate in normative development milestones, short-lived relationships, and societal stigma. Interventions that develop content on IPV and that reflect the lived realities of YGBMSM who are experiencing their first relationships are urgently needed. Study findings also support the need for training teachers, health care providers, and parents to identify signs of IPV and provide them with the knowledge and skills to talk to YGBMSM about relationships and violence to reduce IPV.