An Event-Level Examination of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration: Effects of Alcohol, Instigation, and Regulatory Mechanisms

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, including psychological, physical, and sexual aggression by an intimate partner, is a significant public health concern. Despite efforts to mitigate this crisis, rates of IPV remain high among young adults, leading to increased calls for understanding why individuals perpetrate IPV. Building on the I3 model as an empirical framework for understanding IPV perpetration risk, two studies examined how instigating (e.g., relationship tension), impelling (e.g., emotion regulation, distress tolerance), and disinhibiting (e.g., alcohol use) factors influence IPV perpetration among young adults in intimate relationships. Participants (N = 150) completed an online baseline survey assessing I3 risk factors and past-year IPV perpetration followed by a daily diary protocol measuring psychological, physical, and sexual aggression over 25 days. In study 1, all risk factors assessed at baseline were associated with either IPV perpetration history or IPV during daily diary. Significant interactions emerged between relationship tension and alcohol use predicting IPV perpetration history as well as relationship tension and distress tolerance prospectively predicting IPV during daily diary. Study 2 investigated the perfect storm theory, which postulates that IPV is more likely when instigation and impellance are strong and when inhibition is weak. Results of generalized estimating equations demonstrated a significant three-way interaction between average levels across the daily diary period of relationship tension, emotion regulation difficulties, and alcohol use predicting IPV perpetration likelihood. At high average levels of relationship tension and alcohol use, emotion regulation difficulties had a significant positive effect on IPV perpetration likelihood. When examining within-person deviations in I3 factors, deviations in relationship tension above one’s average level emerged as a significant predictor of IPV perpetration likelihood. Findings across both studies provide support for IPV interventions that target relationship tension and alcohol use, as well as regulatory factors including emotion regulation and distress tolerance.