Past-year Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse among Regular UK Armed Forces serving and ex-serving personnel: results from the fourth phase of a military cohort study
This study of UK Regular Armed Forces personnel found no significant overall difference in past-year intimate partner violence and abuse rates between serving and ex-serving members, identifying anger difficulties, adverse mental health outcomes, younger age, relationship status, and childhood adversity as key associated risk factors.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
Intimate partner violence and abuse is a widespread public health issue that affects individuals and communities everywhere. It encompasses a range of harmful behaviors, including physical acts like hitting or pushing, sexual coercion, emotional degradation such as humiliation or threats, and controlling behaviors that isolate a partner from friends and family. While this problem exists across all sectors of society, researchers have long been interested in whether the unique stresses of military life create a different pattern of risk. In the United States, studies have suggested that people who have left the military face higher rates of these abusive behaviors compared to those still in uniform. This has led to a theory that the difficult transition from military to civilian life, combined with a loss of support systems and the lingering effects of combat stress, might make former service members more vulnerable. However, much of this evidence comes from American data, and it remains unclear if the same patterns hold true in other countries with different military cultures and support structures.
A team of researchers at King's College London set out to examine this question within the United Kingdom's armed forces. They analyzed data from a large, long-term study of British military personnel who served during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The goal was to compare the rates of intimate partner violence and abuse among those currently serving with those who had already left the service. By looking at both the people who use violence against a partner and those who experience it, the researchers hoped to understand if the risk changes after a soldier hangs up their uniform. They also investigated what personal and military factors might be linked to these behaviors, such as age, childhood history, rank, and mental health struggles like anxiety, depression, or anger.
The study surveyed more than 3,000 regular British service members, a group that included both active-duty personnel and veterans. When the researchers looked at the past year, they found that the rates of intimate partner violence and abuse were remarkably similar for both groups. About nine percent of those still serving and a nearly identical nine percent of those who had left reported using some form of abuse against a partner. Similarly, roughly fifteen percent of serving personnel and fourteen percent of veterans reported experiencing abuse from a partner. This finding challenges the idea that leaving the military automatically increases the risk of violence in relationships. While there were some small differences in specific types of behavior—veterans reported slightly more experiences of being controlled or pushed by a partner—these differences were not large enough to be considered a major shift in risk between the two groups. The data suggests that for the UK military, the risk of intimate partner violence and abuse remains a persistent issue for both serving and ex-serving personnel, rather than a problem that spikes only after discharge.
The researchers also looked closely at what factors were connected to these behaviors. They found that age played a significant role, with younger people being more likely to report both using and experiencing abuse than older individuals. A history of difficult experiences during childhood was another strong predictor; those who faced more adversity as children were at higher risk. Perhaps most notably, mental health struggles showed a powerful link to these outcomes. Difficulties with anger, common mental disorders like anxiety and depression, and signs of post-traumatic stress were all independently associated with a higher likelihood of both using and experiencing abuse. Among these, problems with anger management showed the strongest connection to the use of violence. Interestingly, the specific branch of the military or whether someone had been deployed to a combat zone did not show a clear link to these behaviors. However, the study did find that officers were more likely to report both using and experiencing abuse compared to non-commissioned officers, a finding that stands in contrast to some previous research and warrants further investigation.
The study also highlighted that violence in these relationships is often not a one-way street. Among those who reported any abuse, nearly half described a pattern where both partners used and experienced violence, a dynamic known as bidirectional abuse. This complexity suggests that the situation is rarely as simple as one person being the sole aggressor and the other the sole victim. The researchers noted that while four out of five participants reported no abuse in the past year, the rates that were found indicate that this remains a significant public health concern. The similarity in rates between serving and ex-serving personnel implies that the pressures driving these behaviors are present throughout a military career and do not necessarily disappear upon leaving the service. Instead, the risk appears to be tied more closely to individual factors like mental health, childhood history, and relationship dynamics than to the specific status of being in or out of the military.
These findings offer a clearer picture for policymakers and support services in the United Kingdom. Because the risk levels are similar for both current and former service members, efforts to identify and prevent abuse need to be inclusive of the entire military community, not just those who have recently transitioned to civilian life. The strong link between mental health difficulties and abuse suggests that treating conditions like anger management issues, depression, and post-traumatic stress could be a vital part of preventing violence. While the study could not pinpoint exactly why officers showed higher rates, it underscores the need to look beyond general military stressors and examine how rank, culture, and individual psychology intersect. Ultimately, the research confirms that intimate partner violence and abuse is a complex issue that persists within the military population, requiring sustained attention and tailored support for both those who serve and those who have served.
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