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Both biological and social learning causes have been implicated in intimate partner violence. Through a series of experiments in rat models, these investigators explored potential contributing mechanisms.
In “culture-free” stressful paradigms, isolated male rats were subjected to fear-inducing stimuli (fox odors and placement in high, open cages). When caged with females, these stressed males (F0 generation) demonstrated greater aggressive behavior than nonstressed control males. The female victims, compared with females housed with control males, demonstrated greater defensive-submissive behaviors and other anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, lower body weight, altered corticosterone responses, and, after exposure to an unfamiliar male,…