RESPONSES TO PARTNER VIOLENCE - MOVING AWAY FROM DEFICIT MODELS

Deficit-based models of responses to partner violence, which emphasize cognitive distortions and behavioral deficiencies, dominate research on women in violent relationships, but they are limited by their narro w focus. This study examined cognitive reactions and both active and p assive responses of 136 women who sustained verbal aggression, minor v iolence, or moderate to severe violence in their current relationship. Cognitive reactions became more disapproving, and behavioral response s became more active and less passive, as the level of violence increa sed for the worst incident in their relationship. Disapproving reactio ns mediated active, but not passive, responses to violence. These resu lts are consistent with a competency model of responses to violence th at emphasizes the importance of studying both adaptive and maladaptive responses. Multivariate models and a closer study of context would be nefit future research.