Exploring “common couple violence” in heterosexual romantic relationships

It is estimated that as many as 50% of American couples experience a minor form of aggression called “common couple violence” (CCV). CCV, defined as the result of a couple's inability to constructively resolve their conflicts, is gender symmetric in initiation and reciprocity, does not escalate, or become more frequent over time (Johnson, 1995). However, because suppositions about CCV were based upon a review of the domestic violence literature, the purpose of this study was to directly explore the profile of CCV as well as the communication patterns of individuals experiencing it. Thirty‐one individuals were interviewed, and the results indicated that CCV was not a unitary phenomenon as originally hypothesized. Instead, three different profiles of couples and their respective communication patterns were identified: aggressive, violent, and abusive. The theoretical and practical importance of recognizing the diversity of violent couples is discussed.