Does marijuana use contribute to intimate partner aggression? A brief review and directions for future research

Abstract

Marijuana users are more likely to perpetrate intimate partner aggression (IPA) than non-users, yet the mechanism responsible for this association is unknown. Recent studies considering the association between episodes of marijuana use and episodes of IPA have failed to find evidence consistent with an acute effect of marijuana. Research gaps are highlighted and a heuristic model of marijuana’s potential effects on IPA is presented. Research priorities include consideration of mediating mechanisms, moderating variables at the individual and couple level, and examination of acute effects of marijuana using daily report and EMA designs.

Marijuana use is associated with intimate partner violence perpetration among men arrested for domestic violence.

“…Theory (e.g., Testa & Brown, 2015) and prior research (e.g., Homish et al, 2009) suggests discordant marijuana use among intimate partners may increase the risk for negative couple outcomes, such as IPV, to a greater degree than concordant marijuana use, as concordant substance use may reflect shared behaviors and closeness among intimate partners.…”

“…In order to understand this association, we believe that future research examining marijuana use at the event-level is needed. Indeed, researchers previously advocated for daily diary studies or ecological momentary assessment designs to explore the temporal association between marijuana use and IPV perpetration (Testa & Brown, 2015;Shorey et al, 2017). This design will allow for the examination of the events that immediately precede IPV, such as marijuana use, and potential mechanisms underlying marijuana-related IPV.…”

“…Although still underdeveloped, it has been theoretically postulated that, for some individuals, marijuana may lead to increased negative effects (e.g., irritability, anxiety), which may then lead to negative couple-related outcomes, such as IPV (Testa & Brown,frequency of use in the past year) demonstrated modest, but positive, associations with distal reports of IPV (e.g., frequency of IPV perpetration in past year; Testa & Brown, 2015). In addition, Moore and Stuart (2004) reported that 53% of their sample of men arrested for domestic violence reported past year marijuana use.…”

“…Marijuana use is prevalent among men arrested for domestic violence and some research suggests it is positively associated with IPV perpetration (Moore et al, 2008;Moore & Stuart, 2005;Testa & Brown, 2015). This research is particularly important for a number of reasons, especially with the increasing legalization of marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes in many US states, as it is imperative that public health officials and policy makers have a clear understanding of how marijuana use intersects with other important public health problems, such as IPV.…”

“…This may be due, in part, to extensive drug use among men arrested for domestic violence (e.g., Stuart et al, 2004), which may have compromised IPV treatment outcomes. Thus, researchers have recently advocated for additional research on substances other than alcohol to determine their relations to IPV (Shorey, Haynes, Strauss, Temple, & Stuart, 2017;Testa & Brown, 2015) since these substances may impact intervention outcomes. Specifically, researchers have advocated for studies on the association between marijuana and IPV, as well as the effects of combined alcohol and marijuana use on IPV (Shorey et al, 2017;Testa & Brown, 2015).…”