The Influence of Self-Control on Social Learning regarding Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration

ABSTRACT

Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration has been studied empirically and theoretically in a number of ways. Common practice for this research is to simply include both self-control and social learning variables in the same model in a multi-theoretical framework without determining the influence of self-control on social learning. In order to address this gap in the literature, the main goal of the present research is to determine the mediation effect of social learning theory (SLT) on the relationship between self-control and IPV perpetration. This study used the International Dating Violence Study (IDVS) data (n= 4,162) and employed structural equation modeling to explore social learning as a second-order latent variable. Results indicated that social learning as a second-order factor mediated the relationship between self-control and severe IPV perpetration, but did not mediate the relationship between self-control and less severe IPV perpetration. Different methodological approaches when testing SLT can affect the theoretical results, particularly acts of IPV.

KEYWORDS:

• Self-control
• differential association
• differential reinforcement
• definitions
• imitation
• intimate partner violence perpetration

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. John Cochran for his comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript. We would also like to thank Dr. George Burruss and Dr. Jordan Howell for their statistical advice and expertise.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. It is important to note that the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale have been criticized for not capturing the context in which violence occurs or the motivations for using violence (Kimmel, 2002).