Partner-Specific Anger Management as a Mediator of the Relation Between Mindfulness and Female Perpetrated Dating Violence

Objective: The current study examined the relationship between facets of mindfulness, partner-specific anger management, and female perpetrated dating violence. In addition, we examined whether anger management mediated the relation between mindfulness and psychological and physical aggression perpetration. Method: Female undergraduate students (n = 481) completed self-report measures of mindfulness, partner-specific anger management, and dating violence perpetration. Results: The mindfulness facets of nonreactivity, act with awareness, and nonjudging, as well as anger management, were associated with dating violence perpetration. After controlling for dating violence victimization, structural equation modeling (SEM) demonstrated that anger management fully mediated the relation between nonreactivity and act with awareness and psychological and physical aggression perpetration. Moreover, specific anger management components (escalating strategies and negative attributions) were largely responsible for the mediation findings. Conclusions: This is one of the first studies to demonstrate a relation between mindfulness and aggression perpetration, and the first to examine theoretically proposed mechanisms responsible for this relationship. Dating violence prevention programs may benefit from including mindfulness-based interventions to improve anger management and reduce aggressive behavior.