The longitudinal study involved interviews with almost 600 couples in Buffalo. Initial interviews were conducted shortly before marriage. All couples were in their first marriage, and all husbands were between ages 18 and 29. The study involved only newlywed couples because, although marital aggression is extensive in the general population, the rates among younger, newlywed adults are much higher. This population is also at greater risk for heavy drinking.

Premarital assessments focused on alcohol use, perceived power imbalance, marital conflict styles, history of family violence, hostility, and gender identity. Information concerning premarital aggression was also collected then.

At a follow-up interview one year after marriage, couples completed questionnaires, including information about verbal and physical aggression by the husband over the course of the relationship. Questions included moderate (push, grab, slap) to severe items (hit with fist, beat up).

Rates of marital violence higher in newlyweds
According to Dr. Leonard, marital aggression is far more common than previously believed. Almost one-third of participating couples reported that husband to wife aggression occurred in the first year of marriage. Fifteen percent of couples indicated that marital aggression occurred more than once in this time. Almost 17% reported severely violent episodes.

Marital conflict behavior is major predictor of husband aggression.
Each husband and wife rated how often the spouse engaged in various behaviors during a conflict, or "difference of opinion". Types of behaviors to study conflict styles included problem- solving, verbal aggression, and withdrawing from attempting to resolve the disagreement.

Also, marital aggression could be predicted by a combination of high husband and wife verbal aggression, high husband problem solving and low husband withdrawal. These results are surprising, as problem solving is normally viewed as beneficial, and withdrawal is viewed as detrimental to a relationship. However, these variables influenced marital violence only when verbal aggression by both husband and wife also existed.

Conflict styles consisting of hostility and dominance proved to be potent predictors of marital violence. Husband aggression was prominent in relationships in which both the husband and wife were verbally hostile.

Husband drinking uniquely contributes to marital violence

"This is one of the few studies to demonstrate that a man's drinking predicts subsequent violence. It more strongly supports the causal role for alcohol than previous research."

Alcohol is one of many factors that may lead to or intensify marital violence. This may be because of the mental state produced by heavy drinking, or because some people perceive intoxication as an excuse for aggression.

The study found higher incidents of marital aggression in heavy drinkers than in men who do not drink. Researchers assessed two aspects of alcohol consumption. First, couples were asked their average daily alcohol consumption over the past year. Alcohol dependence for the past year was also measured with questions on loss of behavioral control (such as blackouts), obsessive- compulsive drinking style (such as sneaking drinks), and withdrawal (such as hangovers). Results showed that heavy drinkers in this study were not alcoholic, but had heavy drinking styles marked by occasional blackouts and passing out.

"This is one of the few studies to demonstrate that a man's drinking predicts subsequent violence," said Dr. Leonard. "It more strongly supports the causal role for alcohol than previous research."

A model for marital aggression
From the information collected in this study, RIA researchers created a social interaction model of behaviors that lead to marital aggression. Husband alcohol use and marital conflict styles most strongly predicted marital aggression. Other predictors included power inequity, gender identity, and history of family violence. For the most part, predicting husband to wife violence involved only characteristics of the husband.

Acknowledgment
This research was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Grant (#RO1-AA07183). For further information, please contact:

Kenneth E. Leonard, Ph.D.
The Research Institute on Addictions
1021 Main Street
Buffalo, N.Y. 14203-1016
Phone (716) 887-2509
E-mail: Leonard@ria.org.