Patterns of Misreporting Intimate Partner Violence Using Matched Pairs

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an issue of serious public concern. However, policy interventions and theoretical development have been complicated by mixed evidence about whether men or women experience higher levels of IPV. Some of this discrepancy arises from measurement and whether abuse and victimization are asked of one or both partners. This study uses matched partner data from 1,393 heterosexual couples collected in Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health to examine partner IPV reporting discrepancies and develop hypotheses for why such discrepancies might exist. Consistent with expectations, the findings suggest that research on the prevalence of IPV should rely on reports from both partners, rather than just one, and that gendered patterns of social desirability create differences in men's and women's IPV reporting.