Women Face Higher Risks of Partner Violence During Weeks Their Partners Cheat
A study found that women are more likely to experience violence from their intimate partners when their partners are having another sexual partner, even if the couple has an explicit agreement about monogamy.
Women are more likely to experience violence from their intimate partners when their partners are having another sexual partner, according to a study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family. The study analyzed data from the Relationship Dynamics and Social Life study, which followed 1003 young women aged 18-19 for 2.5 years.
The study found that 80% of participants' relationships ended during the study period, with 52% of participants experiencing intimate partner violence. Women reported engaging in non-consensual non-monogamy (cheating) in 5% of relationships, while their partners reportedly did this in 7% of relationships. They also reported engaging in ambiguous-consent non-monogamy in 9% of relationships, while reporting this for their partner in 16% of relationships.
The study found that women were more likely to experience violence from their partner in the weeks when their partner was having another sexual partner, both in situations where this represented ambiguous-consent non-monogamy and when it was non-consensual non-monogamy (i.e., when the partner was cheating). Relationships were more likely to dissolve after both types of non-monogamy and after intimate partner violence.
The authors framed these findings using expectancy violations theory, which suggests that people have strict standards for how their partners should behave, and breaking those rules triggers a severe reassessment of the relationship.
Relationship Dynamics and Social Life Study
The study analyzed data from the Relationship Dynamics and Social Life study, which involved 1003 young women aged 18-19. The study followed these women for 2.5 years, to 20-22.5 years of age. The study began with a 60-minute face-to-face baseline survey focused on respondent's current intimate relationship, attitudes, and experiences related to intimate relationships and pregnancy.
| Relationship Outcome | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Relationships ended during the study period | 80% |
| Relationships included fighting (but without intimate partner violence) | 41% |
| Relationships included intimate partner violence | 28% |
| Participants experienced intimate partner violence | 52% |
| Participants reported engaging in non-consensual non-monogamy | 5% |
| Participants reported their partner engaging in non-consensual non-monogamy | 7% |
| Participants reported engaging in ambiguous-consent non-monogamy | 9% |
| Participants reported their partner engaging in ambiguous-consent non-monogamy | 16% |
Expectancy Violations Theory
The study authors framed their findings using expectancy violations theory, which suggests that people have strict standards for how their partners should behave, and breaking those rules triggers a severe reassessment of the relationship. According to this theory, non-consensual non-monogamy (cheating) and ambiguous-consent non-monogamy (having additional sexual partners without an explicit agreement) function as powerful relational breaches, while physical intimate partner violence (assault) may operate differently from chronic psychological intimate partner violence in predicting dissolution.
The study contributes to the scientific understanding of romantic relationships, but it has some limitations. The authors did not report the associations between participants' own non-monogamous behavior and intimate partner violence, and they did not measure participant-perpetrated intimate partner violence in the same way they measured violence perpetrated by their partners.
