Intimate partner violence among U.S. Army soldiers in Alaska: A comparison of reported rates and survey results

Abstract

Objectives: A U.S. Army post in Alaska (Fort A) was determined to have a higher than average rate of officially reported cases of spousal abuse compared with the Army as a whole. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether Fort A had a higher rate of self-reported spousal abuse compared with the Army as a whole. Method: A survey on intimate partner violence was conducted among 648 married male personnel who completed a questionnaire that included the Modified Conflict Tactic Scale. Results: Comparisons with results of an earlier study involving a large representative sample of Army personnel indicated that Fort A did not have higher levels of intimate partner violence than the Army average based on soldiers' self-reports. Conclusion: It may not be appropriate to draw conclusions about serious intimate partner violence in the military based solely on the results of family conflict surveys.