Citation

Conradi L, Geffner RA, Hamberger LK, Lawson G. J. Aggression Maltreat. Trauma 2009; 18(7): 718-738.

Affiliation

Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA; Alliant International University, San Diego, California, USA; Medical College of Wisconsin, Racine, Wisconsin, USA

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10926770903231718

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In the last 20 years, research has emerged that suggests that women may be violent in intimate relationships. This article describes a qualitative study focusing on women who were classified as dominant aggressors of violence in their intimate relationships. Ten subjects participated in a detailed clinical interview and completed five written measures to examine the factors that led to their later aggression, including sociocultural factors, history of trauma, gender role identification, and intergenerational transmission of violence. Seven major themes emerged, including a history of victimization and trauma, substance abuse, and a history of violence across relationships and situations. These results suggest that the violence committed by dominantly aggressive women may be explained by an integrated conceptual framework of domestic violence.