Domestic violence and deployment in US Army soldiers

J Nerv Ment Dis. 2003 Jan;191(1):3-9. doi: 10.1097/00005053-200301000-00002.

Abstract

Although military deployment has been suggested as a possible cause of increases in domestic violence, little is known about it. The purpose of this study was to determine if deployment of 6 months to Bosnia predicted early postdeployment domestic violence. Active duty recently deployed (N = 313) and nondeployed (N = 712) male soldiers volunteered to take an anonymous questionnaire. Deployment was not a significant predictor of postdeployment domestic violence. However, younger soldiers, those with predeployment domestic violence, nonwhite race, and off-post residence also were more likely to report postdeployment domestic violence. The predicted probability of postdeployment domestic violence for a deployed 20-year-old, nonwhite soldier with a history of predeployment domestic violence and who lives on-post was.20. For the soldier without a history of predeployment domestic violence, it was.05. Prevention and intervention programs for postdeployment domestic violence shortly after return should target age and persons with a domestic violence history rather than deployment per se.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Domestic Violence / prevention & control
  • Domestic Violence / psychology*
  • Domestic Violence / statistics & numerical data
  • Educational Status
  • Family Health
  • Family Relations
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Military Personnel / psychology*
  • Military Personnel / statistics & numerical data
  • Primary Prevention / methods
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Racial Groups
  • Recurrence
  • Residence Characteristics
  • Risk Factors
  • Sex Factors
  • Stress, Psychological / epidemiology
  • Stress, Psychological / prevention & control
  • Stress, Psychological / psychology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Warfare