Measuring coercive control and intimate partner violence: Scale Development

Abstract

Violence and aggression occur much too frequently in romantic relationships. The severity and prevalence of this issue has resulted in research focused on identifying variables associated with intimate partner violence. A particularly important variable in violent relationships is need for control. Coupled with the need to gain control over one’s partner, a desire to feel more powerful is positively related to violence in close relationships. Recent research has examined the relationship between social power and violent relationships, focusing on coercive power patterns. There have been calls for standardization of measurement of coercive control and IPV, as well as for interdisciplinary work in this area. Our interdisciplinary research draws from the literature in both Psychology and Sociology in order to fill gaps in the current knowledge. We intend to do this by creating a scale that directly measures violence that involves coercive control, as well as by examining violence in non-heterosexual relationships. The purpose of this research project is to develop a scale to measure coercive control and IPV that is applicable across various intimate partner relationships. This presentation reports on our progress in instrument development. Directions for future research will be discussed.