Citation

Shorey RC, Febres J, Brasfield HM, Stuart GL. Partner Abuse 2011; 2(2): 131-146.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Springer Publishing)

DOI

10.1891/1946&U8211;6560.2.2.131

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Psychological aggression is a devastating and prevalent problem in college dating relationships. In fact, most students in dating relationships experience psychological aggression each year. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of research on proximal risk factors for psychological aggression among females specifically. Knowing the conditions under which psychological aggression is most likely to occur will aid researchers and clinicians in developing and implementing more effective prevention programs. The current study descriptively examined proximal factors to psychological aggression perpetration among female undergraduate students (N = 97). Findings showed that most psychological aggression occurred during the period from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., while participants were alone with their partners, and on the weekend. Participants reported a diverse number of motivations for perpetrating psychological aggression, with a lack of emotion regulation being an especially prominent motivation. Implications of these findings for future research and prevention programming are discussed.