Young men 18 years old and under who attempt suicide are twice as likely to physically abuse their wives or girlfriends, according to a new study published in the Journal of Psychological Medicine.
- Professors David Kerr of Oregon State University and Deborah Capaldi of the Oregon Social Learning Center studied 153 males from age ten to 32 years old who live in high crime neighborhoods.
- Among those who were suicidal, 58 percent were physically abusive to their romantic partners.
- Among those who had no suicidal ideation, 28 percent were physically abusive to their partners.
"This study began when these men were kids, before anyone knew who was going to become violent," said Dr. Kerr. "That was quite different from research that starts with violent men or women from domestic violence shelters and tries to look back in time for explanations."
Though domestic violence is often mistakenly viewed as an "adult problem," relationship abuse among teens and adolescents remains a prevalent problem.
Labels: relationships, violence, suicide, abuse
Posted By: Jane St. Clair