| dc.description.abstract | Perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV) are more likely to have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACES) than the general population (e.g., Whitfield, Anda, Dube, & Felitti, 2003). Despite this association, occurrence of ACES does not guarantee the development of patterned abusive behavior (Godbout et al., 2017). To understand the link between ACES and IPV perpetration, limited research (e.g., Felitti & Anda, 2010; Miller, 1997) has identified talking with nonjudgmental others (e.g., counselors) as a social strategy that may help mitigate the effects of childhood adversity. However, damaged attachments (e.g., Haven & Pearlman, 2004) and characteristics of traditional masculine gender socialization (e.g., “restrictive emotionality”; see O’Neil, 2008), may prevent individuals from seeking and obtaining the emotional and cognitive benefits of social support (e.g., Sarason & Sarason, 2009). Thus, the purpose of the current study was to better understand how male IPV perpetrators perceive social support during childhood and as members of abuse intervention program (AIP) groups. For this dissertation project, I became a participant observer at a local AIP that offered 27-week AIP groups for IPV perpetrators, typically court-mandated to attend. From April 2014 to February 2015, I completed approximately 257.5 hours of participant observation within an AIP group and facilitator meetings. Additionally, I conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 male IPV perpetrators to explore individual experiences in greater detail. The data were analyzed using a combination of concept-driven, open, and axial coding, creating an inductive and iterative process for interpretation (e.g., Manning & Kunkel, 2014). Participants’ reports revealed high frequency of ACES, prevalence of damaged attachments via parental loss and caregiver abuse, and patterns of negative messages about self-worth. Additionally, participants reported low and sometimes absent positive social ties and the tendency to seek surrogate support associated with negative influences (i.e., gang membership, drug use). Finally, study participants received persistent messages that discouraged help seeking and engendered masculine communication styles (e.g., self-reliance, aggression, rejection of femininity, restrictive emotionality; Levant & Richmond, 2007), preventing social support access. The current study illustrates how the effects of ACES and damaged attachments can be exacerbated by the absence of positive social ties and adherence to masculine gender norms governing communication. Findings are discussed regarding theoretical implications and practical applications for AIP group facilitation. | |
