The Influence of Media Violence on Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration: An Examination of Inmates’ Domestic Violence Convictions and Self-Reported Perpetration

• Published in: Gender issues Vol. 39; no. 2; pp. 177 - 197
• Main Authors: Gavin, Samantha M., Kruis, Nathan E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.06.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Convictions; Domestic violence; Family Violence; Gender Studies; Intimate partner violence; Mass media images; Media violence; Original; Original Article; Prisoners; Self report; Social Sciences; Sociology; Television; Victimization; Violence; Violence against women; Violent crime; Media violence; Domestic violence; Partner abuse; Intimate partner violence
• ISSN: 1098-092X; 1936-4717
• DOI: 10.1007/s12147-021-09284-5

Research suggests that the representation of violence against women in the media has resulted in an increased acceptance of attitudes favoring domestic violence. While prior work has investigated the relationship between violent media exposure and violent crime, there has been little effort to empirically examine the relationship between specific forms of violent media exposure and the perpetration of intimate partner violence. Using data collected from a sample of 148 inmates, the current study seeks to help fill these gaps in the literature by examining the relationship between exposure to various forms of pleasurable violent media and the perpetration of intimate partner violence (i.e., conviction and self-reported). At the bivariate level, results indicate a significant positive relationship between exposure to pleasurable television violence and self-reported intimate partner abuse. However, this relationship is reduced to insignificant levels in multivariable modeling. Endorsement of domestic violence beliefs and victimization experience were found to be the strongest predictors of intimate partner violence perpetration. Potential policy implications based on findings are discussed within.