American Men: 1 in 5 Assault Their Partners

Violent relationships in the United States are improperly addressed, according to recent findings published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. Recent findings show that as many as one in five American men admit to assaulting their spouse or significant other.

Furthermore, researchers also found that such medical conditions as irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, substance abuse and witnessing violence as a child can increase the risk of domestic violence.

"When people think of men who abuse their partners, they often think of violent people who they have never come across, or people they have only heard about in the news," said lead study author Vijay Singh, M.D., MPH, MS, a clinical lecturer in the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, in a news release. "However, our study showed one out of every five men in the U.S. reported physical violence toward an intimate partner. It's likely that we've all met these men in our daily environment. This is an issue that cuts across all communities, regardless of race, income, or any other demographics."

For the study, researchers used data from the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication, which assessed intimate partner violence and characteristics among male perpetrators from 2001 to 2003. The study involved 580 men living in America, all an average age of 42.

"Our research shows that male perpetrators of intimate partner violence seek routine medical services, and they have physical symptoms that are common reasons patients seek medical care. This suggests that we may be missing an important opportunity in the primary care setting to identify their aggressive behavior and potentially intervene."