IMPORTANCE Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with several adulthood health problems, such as self-directed violence. For some individuals, enlistment in the military may be an instrumental act to escape adverse household environments; however, to our knowledge prevalence of ACEs among persons with a history of military service has not been documented in the United States using population-based data.OBJECTIVE To compare the prevalence of ACEs among individuals with and without a history of military service. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Data are from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were conducted with population-based samples of noninstitutionalized US adults from January 1 through December 31, 2010. Analyses were limited to respondents who received the ACE module (n = 60 598). Participants were categorized by history of military service and whether a respondent was 18 years of age in 1973.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES History of military service was defined by active duty service, veteran status, or training for the Reserves or National Guard. The ACE inventory assessed 11 negative experiences before the age of 18 years. Weighted χ 2 tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine differences in ACEs by history of military service, era of service, and sex. RESULTSThose with military experience had greater odds of any difference in prevalence of ACEs. In the all-volunteer era, men with military service had a higher prevalence of ACEs in all 11 categories than men without military service. Notably, in the all-volunteer era, men with military service had twice the odds of reporting forced sex before the age of 18 years (odds ratio, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.34-3.57) compared with men without military service. In the draft era, the only difference among men was household drug use, in which men with a history of military service had a significantly lower prevalence than men without a history of military service (2.1% vs 3.3%; P = .003). Fewer differences were observed among women in the all-volunteer and draft eras. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEDifferences in ACEs by era and sex lend preliminary support that enlistment may serve as an escape from adversity for some individuals, at least among men. Further research is needed to understand how best to support service members and veterans who may have experienced ACEs.

Over the last half century in the United States, we have seen the criminal system become increasingly aggressive in its response to violence against intimate partners. Although policies have been implemented to encourage arrest, police continue to maintain discretion over whether or whom to arrest in cases of intimate partner violence (IPV). Using data from three national data sets, we examined the contributions of incident, agency, and community factors on the police arrest decisions, independently considering atypical cases of women arrested and dual arrest. The findings from this study reveal that incident factors account for the majority of the variance in arrest for single arrest cases, more so than factors associated with the particular police agency or the community in which the alleged crime occurred. The frequency of dual arrest is affected more by community factors. The findings from this study can be used to guide police training and local policies as well as to inform legislation designed to prevent variance in arrest based on sociodemographic and other extralegal factors.

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OBJECTIVES:The objectives of this study were to identify the prevalence of past-year intimate partner violence (IPV) among women Veterans utilizing Veterans Health Administration (VHA) primary care, and to document associated demographic, military, and primary care characteristics. DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort design, where participants completed a telephone survey in 2012 (84% participation rate); responses were linked to VHA administrative data for utilization in the year prior to the survey. PARTICIPANTS: A national stratified random sample of 6,287 women Veteran VHA primary care users participated in the study. MAIN MEASURES: Past-year IPV was assessed using the HARK screening tool. Self-report items and scales assessed demographic and military characteristics. Primary care characteristics were assessed via selfreport and VHA administrative data. KEY RESULTS: The prevalence of past-year IPV among women Veterans was 18.5% (se = 0.5%), with higher rates (22.2% -25.5%) among women up to age 55. Other demographic correlates included indicators of economic hardship, lesbian or bisexual orientation, and being a parent/ guardian of a child less than 18 years old. Military correlates included service during Vietnam to post-Vietnam eras, less than 10 years of service, and experiences of Military Sexual Trauma (MST). Most (77.3%, se = 1.2%) women who experienced IPV identified a VHA provider as their usual provider. Compared with women who did not report past-year IPV, women who reported IPV had more primary care visits, yet experienced lower continuity of care across providers. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of past-year IPV among women beyond childbearing years, the majority of whom primarily rely on VHA as a source of health care, reinforces the importance of screening all women for IPV in VHA primary care settings. Key considerations for service implementation include sensitivity with respect to sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and other aspects of diversity, as well as care coordination and linkages with social services and MST-related care.