RISK MARKER ANALYSIS OF HUSBAND-TO-WIFE VIOLENCE - A CONTINUUM OF AGGRESSION

To evaluate whether a continuity of aggression assumption underlies hu sband-to-wife violence, an analysis of the 1985 National Family Violen ce Survey was performed to assess to degree to which highly recognized risk markers discriminate among various levels of husband-to-wife vio lence. Parallel analyses were conducted on men's reports of expression s of violence and women's reports of victimization. Individuals of bot h genders who reported more extreme forms of violence were more likely to report less extreme violence as well. In addition, several risk ma rkers that discriminated individuals involved in husband-to-wife viole nce exhibited linear associations with the level of violence reported. These linear trends appeared consistent regardless of whether husband s' reports of inflicting violence or wives' reports of being victimize d were examined. These results support the assumption that husband-to- wife violence lies upon a continuum of severity.