Abstract
To examine female sexuality in physically abusive marriages, this study compared 60 abused women with a demographically matched sample of nonabused women in distressed marriages (aged 19–29). The physically abused women reported significantly lower levels of intimacy and compatibility in their marriages. In addition, abused women were found to evince a more traditional sex-role ideology, a greater negative or erotophobic disposition toward sex, and a stronger avoidance of sex than did nonabused women. Also, as compared to nonabused women in distressed marriages, the abused women rated themselves as having a lower degree of sexual assertiveness, arousability, and satisfaction. Despite these findings, the abused women reported a significantly greater frequency of sexual intercourse in their marriages than did the nonabused women.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Apt. C. V., and Hurlbert, D. F. (1992). Motherhood and female sexuality beyond one year postpartum: A study of military wives.J. Sex Ed. Ther. 18: 104–114.
Bernard, J., and Bernard, M. (1984).Fam. Relat. 33: 543–547.
Bernard, J., Bernard, S., and Bernard, M. (1985). Courtship violence and sex typing.Fam. Relat. 34: 577–581.
Chambless, D. L., and Lifshitz, J. L. (1984). Self-reported sexual anxiety and sexual arousal: The expanded sexual arousability Inventory.J. Sex Res. 20: 241–254.
Coleman, D., and Straus, M. (1986). Marital power, conflict, and violence in a nationally representative sample of American couples.Viol. Vict., 1: 141–157.
Cronbach, L. J. (1970).Essentials of Psychological Testing, Harper & Row, New York.
Crowne, D. P., and Marlowe, D. (1964).The Approval Motive: Students in Evaluative Dependence, Wiley, New York.
Fisher, W. A., Byrne, D., and White, L. A. (1983). Emotional barriers to contraception. In Byrne, D., and Fisher, W. A. (eds.),Adolescents, Sex, and Contraception, Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ. pp. 207–239.
Fisher, W. A., Byrne, D., White, L. A., and Kelly, K. (1988). Erotophobia-erotophilia as a dimension of personality.J. Sex Res. 25: 123–151.
Hoon, E. F., Hoon, P. W., and Wincze, J. P. (1976). An inventory for the measurement of female sexual arousability: The SAI.Arch. Sex. Behav. 5: 291–300.
Hudson, W. W. (1982).The Clinical Measurement Package, Dorsey, Homewood, IL.
Hudson, W. W. (1981). Development and use of indices and scales. In Grinnell, R. M. (ed.),Social Work Research and Evaluation, F. E. Peacock Publishers, Itasca, Ill., pp. 130–155.
Hurlbert, D. F. (1991). The role of assertiveness in female sexuality: A comparative study between sexually assertive and sexually nonassertive women.J. Sex Marit. Ther. 17: 183–193.
Hurlbert, D. F. (May, 1988). Teaching women with sexual desire disorder how to self-stimulate: Issues of assertiveness, self-esteem, and sexual scripts. Paper presented at the United States Army Annual Social Work Practice Conference, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX.
Hurlbert, D. F., and Apt, C. (1991). Sexual narcissism and the abusive male.J. Sex Marit. Ther. 17: 279–292.
Hurlbert, D. F., Whittaker, K. E., and Munoz, C. J. (1991). Etiological characteristics of abusive husbands.Milit. Med. 156: 670–675.
Kaats, C., and Davis, K. (1971). Effects of volunteer bias in studies of sexual behavior and attitudes.J. Sex Res. 7: 26–34.
Kalin, R., and Tilby, P. J. (1978). Development and validation of a sex-role ideology scale.Psychological Rep. 42: 731–738.
Katz, R. C., Gipson, M. T., Kearl, A., and Kriskovich, M. (1989). Assessing sexual aversion in college students: The sexual aversion scale.J. Sex Marit. Ther. 15: 135–140.
Meredith, W. H., Abbott, D. A., and Adams, S. L. (1986). Family violence: Its relation to marital and parental satisfaction and family strengths.J. Fam. Viol. 1: 299–305.
O'Leary, K. D. (1988). Physical aggression between spouses: A social learning perspective. In Van Hasselt, V. B., Morrison, R. L., Bellack, A. S., and Hersen, M. (eds.),Handbook of Family Violence, Plenum, New York, pp. 31–55.
Rotkin, K. (1976). The phallacy of our sexual norms. In Kaplan, A., and Bean, J. (eds.),Beyond Sex-Role Stereotypes: Readings Toward a Psychology of Androgyny, Little, Brown, Boston, MA..
Rosenbaum, A. (1988). Methodological issues in marital violence research.J. Fam. Viol. 3: 91–104.
Rosenthal, R., and Rosnow, R. L. (1969). The volunteer subject. In Rosenthal, R., and Rosnow, R. L. (eds.),Artifact in Behavioral Research, Academic Press, New York, pp. 59–118.
Rosenzweig, J. M., and Dailey, D. M. (1989). Dyadic adjustment/sexual satisfaction in women and men as a function of psychological sex role self-perception.J. Sex Marit. Ther. 15: 42–56.
Rubin, Z. (1970). Measurement of romantic love.J. Personal. Social Psychol. 16: 265–273.
Russell, L. (1990). Sex and couples therapy: A method of treatment to enhance physical and emotional intimacy.J. Sex Marit. Ther. 16.
Russell, M. (1988). Wife assault theory, research, and treatment: A literature review.J. Fam. Viol. 3: 193–208.
Sonkin, J. (1985). The male batterer: An overview (Part 1).Military Family, January–February, 3–6.
Waring, E. M., Tillman, M. P., Frelick, L., Russell, L., and Weisz, G. (1980). Concepts of intimacy in the general population.J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 118: 471–474.
Whitaker, C. (1989). Thoughts about sex, love, and intimacy. In Kantor, D., and Okum, B. F. (eds.),Intimate Environments: Sex, Love, and Gender in Families New York: Guilford Press, pp. 108–128.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Apt, C., Hurlbert, D.F. The sexuality of women in physically abusive marriages: A comparative study. J Fam Viol 8, 57–69 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00986993
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00986993