A recent article in the Seattle Weekly brought attention to the problem of domestic violence among veterans. The article noted an ongoing local study which shows that around 45 percent of veterans seeking treatment for post traumatic stress disorder displayed aggressive behavior toward their spouse. Those numbers may be even larger among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The study, which is looking at patients at Veterans Affairs facilities in the Puget Sound, has found that 60 percent of veterans from the current wars who have partners and who suffered from PSTD had displayed "mild-to-moderate" intimate partner violence within the last six months.

Part of the reason for concern over that figure is that many vets returning from overseas have been diagnosed with PSTD, as well as the close link between suicide and homicide with domestic violence. Another concern is that many health care providers do not even ask about domestic violence when caring for vets with PSTD.

The study also shows that, even where domestic violence does not occur, there may still be problems. Around 75 percent of the vets examined in the study had gone through "family readjustment problems." While sources didn't indicate exactly what that term means, it is clear that relationship problems often plague vets, and that violence is unfortunately sometimes part of the picture.

Domestic violence never happens in a vacuum. There are always reasons why it is taking place. Sometimes these reasons have to do with the mental and emotional health of the perpetrator. In such situations, the offender may have already been a victim of an illness, and doesn't deserve punishment, but treatment.

Source: Seattle Weekly, "Jared Hagemann's Tale Illustrates Big Problem Among Vets: Domestic Violence," Nina Shapiro, November 11, 2011.