The consequences of psychological abuse and control in intimate partner relationships.

Abstract

The most prevalent form of intimate partner abuse is not the physical type, but rather psychological abuse which can itself be differentiated into various subtypes. These include what is known as expressive abuse, consisting of verbal put-downs and various other behaviors intended to diminish the self-esteem of one's partner; and instrumental abuse, which consists broadly of attempts to directly control the partner through jealousy-driven monitoring and surveillance behaviors, threats, and assorted other coercive behaviors such as economic abuse, manipulation of the legal system, and using children. While physical abuse may lead to corporal injuries and psychological trauma, sometimes leading to death, victims generally cite the insidious and long-lasting impact of chronic psychological abuse victimization. However, psychological abuse is mostly measured in terms of the perpetrator's actions, and when its impact has been investigated the focus has been on global mental health symptoms. In this study, the authors report on an internet-based survey of psychological abuse, as measured by the Controlling and Abusive Tactics Questionnaire, and impact of those actions on the partner's daily functioning.