What Happens After I Hit? A Qualitative Analysis of the Consequences of Dating Violence for Female Perpetrators

Abstract

Objectives: The primary goal of this study is to qualitatively examine reinforcing and punishing consequences following the perpetration of physical aggression by women in dating relationships because recent theoretical conceptualizations of intimate partner violence have emphasized an examination of such consequences. Method: Participants were 25 undergraduate women in current dating relationships who reported previous perpetration of physical dating violence and completed a qualitative, theoretically based interview on the consequences of their aggression perpetration. Results: Findings demonstrated that violent episodes resulted in both reinforcing and punishing consequences, with 100% of instances resulting in reinforcing consequences for the perpetrator and 76% classified as punishing, which were divided into 15 different classes of outcomes. Conclusions: These findings suggest that dating violence prevention programming could focus their efforts on increasing use of nonaggressive behaviors leading to reinforcing outcomes among dating couples during conflict resolution. This also has important implications for theoretical models of intimate partner violence.