Beyond Frequency and Severity

Abstract

Responding to calls for improved measurement in the field of domestic violence, this paper reports the development and initial validation of the Brief Coercion and Conflict Scales in a sample of incarcerated women. Confirmatory factor analyses tested the scales hypothesized structure and supported coercion and conflict as moderately and positively related but distinct constructs. Although women reported experiencing both conflict and coercion in their most recent relationship before incarceration, they reported that their experiences were more often marked by interpersonal conflict than by coercion. Further, the coercion and conflict scales differentially predicted women's behavioral and psychological responses to abuse. Only coercion consistently predicted strategic responses and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Overall, findings support the instrument as a viable option, but further psychometric evaluation of internal and external validity with additional samples is warranted.