Women’s use of intimate partner aggression remains a controversial research topic. Studies suggest that experiences of racism and heterosexism are associated with the use of intimate partner aggression among people impacted by these forms of oppression. Women also have unique experiences of discrimination that may be associated with their use of intimate partner aggression. The current study examined the direct association between women’s experiences of sexist discrimination and intimate partner aggression as well as the indirect relationship through mental health symptoms. All measures were gathered during Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), with data provided by 13,928 women. Structural equation modeling identified a significant direct relationship between women’s experiences of sexist discrimination and their use of intimate partner aggression, β = .04, z = 3.07, p = .002, and a significant indirect path through mental health symptoms (depression and anxiety; ab = .04, 95% CI [0.03, 0.05]). Women who experienced greater sexist discrimination reported greater mental health symptoms and more intimate partner aggression. The findings support the novel hypothesis that women’s intimate partner aggression may, in part, result from experiences of sexist discrimination and the emotional and mental distress associated with these experiences. These results offer important implications for practitioners, researchers, and policy makers by highlighting the need for gender-responsive interventions for women’s intimate partner aggression that consider how sexist experiences and mental health symptoms are associated with women’s relationship behaviors.
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