Intimate Partner Violence and Marital Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Marital Communication and the Moderating Role of Gender

Using data from 501 married individuals living in Northern Cyprus, an understudied context, this study tests the effect of intimate partner violence (specifically, verbal and physical spousal aggression) on marital satisfaction. In particular, this study explores whether marital communication mediates the effects of verbal and physical spousal aggression on marital satisfaction, and whether these effects differ between men and women. Results suggest that respondents who report only verbal spousal aggression or both verbal and physical spousal aggression have significantly lower marital satisfaction than those who report no verbal or physical spousal aggression. Marital communication partially mediates the effect of only verbal spousal aggression, and of both verbal and physical spousal aggression, on marital satisfaction. Furthermore, the results indicate that the effect of only verbal spousal aggression on marital satisfaction is stronger for husbands, while the effect of both verbal and physical spousal aggression on marital satisfaction is stronger for wives.