Is It Dating Violence or Just “Drunken Behavior”? Judgments of Intimate Partner Violence When the Perpetrator Is Under the Influence of Alcohol

Abstract

Background: Previous research has shown a strong bias for laypersons to believe alcohol use and aggression to go hand-in-hand (see Quigley & Leonard, 2006). Furthermore, research has shown that alcohol use can be seen as a mitigating circumstance for aggression, resulting in a reduction of blame and accountability (Bullock, 2002; Katz & Arias, 2001; Tryggvesson, 2004). Objectives: The present study investigated observers’ judgments of intimate partner violence (IPV) when the perpetrator was under the influence of alcohol. We hypothesized that participants would view violent behavior as more common and less abusive if they thought the perpetrator was under the influence of alcohol. Methods: College students (n = 79) viewed a video depicting an increasingly abusive interaction between college-age dating partners (see Witte & Kendra, 2010) and half of the participants were lead to believe that the perpetrator was drinking alcohol prior to the interaction. Participants rated the videotaped vignette at four timepoints to assess the degree to which they believed the interaction was normal/common and abusive. Results: Observers judged the abusive behavior as more common and less abusive when alcohol was involved, but only for psychologically abusive behaviors and moderately severe physically abusive behaviors. Conclusions/Importance: The results of this study provide support for the notion that direct observers of IPV judge moderately abusive behavior as more common and less abusive when alcohol is involved. With this, theories concerning alcohol expectancies and interpretations of interpersonal violence can be more readily applied to real-life scenarios, such as in the validity of eye-witness testimony.

Keywords :

• intimate partner violence
• alcohol expectancies
• observer judgments

THE AUTHORS

Tricia H. Witte, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Alabama. She received a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arkansas in 2004. She trained at National Crime Victims Research Center at the Medical University of South Carolina during her predoctoral internship. She studies intimate partner violence and trauma.

Megan R. Kopkin, B S, is a graduate student in the University of Alabama's Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program-Psychology & Law Concentration. Her research interests include psychopathy, juror decision-making, and intimate partner violence.

Sean D. Hollis, MA, is a doctoral student at The University of Mississippi. His current research interests include the effects of electronic media on cognitive and academic skills. Additionally, his work has focused on public health issues such as intimate partner violence as well as substance use cessation and prevention efforts.

GLOSSARY

• Alcohol expectancies: Expectations about cognitive, affective, or behavioral outcomes associated with alcohol use.

• Intimate partner violence: Physical, psychological, or sexual aggression by a current or former intimate partner.

• Schema-based processing: A preexisting mental framework modifies observations or experiences to be consistent with the framework.