Developmental and affective issues in assessing and treating partner aggression.

During the teenage years through the mid twenties, physical aggression against a partner increases, but then it decreases in a fairly steady fashion until at least age 70. Despite this overall downward trend, if physical aggression occurs on different occasions. It becomes quite stable. Variables such as problem drinking, hostility, communication conflicts, and jealousy may help explain the age trends. If male partner aggression persists and escalates, it places the female partner at risk for affective consequences such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, marital discord, physical injury, and suicide. At a minimum, in assessing for a safety plan and interventions, clinicians should address duration, severity, and generality of psychological and physical aggression, level of marital discord, alcohol use, and personality disorders of the aggressor.