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Abstract
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VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The goal of this research by Alexander et al. was to examine the intergenerational transmission of violence among dating partners, in order to ascertain the values, beliefs and behaviors that are transmitted through the years. The authors examined their findings in light of both social learning theory and feminist theory.
METHODOLOGY:
The authors employed a quasi-experimental cross-sectional design with a non-probability sample of 152 men and 228 women (total n=380) attending an urban Southern university who had been in a dating relationship for at least six months. The research was directed at examining the effect of abuse in family of origin on dating abuse and on attitudes toward women, and the effect of attitudes toward women upon dating abuse. Measures employed for this purpose included the Verbal Aggression and the Violence subscales of the Conflict Tactics Scale, both with previously established adequate reliability. Respondents completed a number of questionnaires, in order to ascertain their father's behavior towards their mother, their mother's behavior towards their father, their father's behavior towards them, their mother's behavior towards them, their own behavior towards their partner and their partner's behavior towards them. Behaviors such as slapping, spanking and hitting with an object, which are often used to discipline children but which would be considered as abuse if used against a spouse, were omitted from the analysis of parental behaviors toward the respondent, leaving measures of severe violence only. The high correlation between violence committed by the father against the mother and that committed by the mother against the father led the authors to combine these two scales into a marital violence measure. Attitudes about the roles and rights of women in society were measured via use of a 25-item short version of the Attitudes toward Women Scale. Separate questionnaires were completed by the respondents to describe their partner's presumed attitudes and their own attitudes toward women, with a total score that measured from extremely liberal to extremely conservative. Analyses included examination of means, zero-order correlations and hierarchical regression analysis.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The authors found that 32.5% of the subjects reported that they were physically abusive, and 31.8% described themselves as having been physically abused. It was found that males and those subjects who had been in the dating relationship for greater lengths of time were more likely to be verbally abusive to their partners and were more likely to report being verbally abused. Length of time in the relationship did not, however, predict physical violence. Males, but not females, were also more likely to be verbally and physically abusive, as well as verbally and physically abused, if they had been severely abused by their fathers. However, witnessing violence between parents, and being physically abused by the mother, could not predict being verbally or physically abusive or abused. Witnessing marital violence did, however, relate to the development of more liberal attitudes for women, and more conservative attitudes for men. The strongest determinant of violence in dating relationships was physical abuse of the male by his father, suggesting that males were more likely to model the abusive behavior of their parents, in particular of their fathers, than were females. Men described themselves as more conservative in their attitudes toward women than did women, and males were more likely to be conservative, and females more liberal, if they had witnessed violence between their parents. Sex and partner's conservative presumed attitudes toward women were found to be significantly related to being verbally abusive and abused, as well as being physically abusive and abused, with men reporting higher rates of abuse than women. Females who held conservative views about women were significantly less likely than their liberal counterparts to report being abusive and abused both verbally and physically, while males' attitudes toward women were not related to abuse. Individuals with conservative attitudes toward women were more likely to report being abusive if their partners were seen as liberal; they were less likely to be abused than were those with liberal attitudes whose partners were seen as conservative. Liberal individuals who were being abused described their partners as conservative, and conservative people who were being abusive reported that they were more violent when they saw their partner's attitudes as liberal. In general, it was found that a discrepancy in attitudes about women would result in the abuse of the liberal partner by the conservative one, and that both men and women reported that it was the woman's attitudes that were associated with the initiation of violence. Both males and females were very likely to characterize the violence in their relationship as reciprocal. The authors suggested that the higher levels of males reporting overall abuse might be due to a greater willingness on the part of the men to admit to violence in their relationships. The authors concluded that both social learning theory and feminist theory were related to the intergenerational transmission of violence, with men modeling their fathers' behaviors, and attitudes being influenced by witnessing marital violence between parents. The authors added a word of caution that the correlational nature of the study precluded statements about causality.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
The authors suggested that the effect of the physical abuse of the male by his father should be considered and emphasized when treating abusive couples. Attitudes of each partner must be examined in the context of the relationship, as it was the accuracy of the perceptions of each other's beliefs that was important. A more egalitarian relationship should be the goal of treatment of abusive couples, as well as consensus between the partners about each person's roles in the relationship. Attitudes toward women should be changed not only in the female, but in the male as well, to avoid the discrepancy of attitudes that can lead to violence.
EVALUATION:
The authors present an interesting examination of the intergenerational transmission of violence among dating partners. However, whilst the study has the advantage of a good sample size, no information is provided about the demographic characteristics of the group - race, socio-economic status and family background could all have influenced the findings, and have not been controlled for. Operationalization and measurement of the key variables is well explained, but definitions of violence are not included, except to mention that the study examines severe violence only. The discussion of the analyses and the results was presented in a somewhat confusing manner, and a more thorough discussion of the implications of the findings would have been helpful. Despite these drawbacks, the research represents an important addition to the study of violence, and should be considered as a basis for future work and for the development of treatment, intervention and prevention planning. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - College Student Research
KW - Dating Violence Causes
KW - Dating Violence Victim
KW - Dating Violence Offender
KW - Adult Female
KW - Adult Male
KW - Adult Offender
KW - Adult Violence
KW - Adult Victim
KW - Adult Perceptions
KW - Adult Attitudes
KW - Intergenerational Transmission of Violence
KW - Family of Origin Violence
KW - Witnessing Violence Effects
KW - Witnessing Spouse Abuse
KW - Child Witness
KW - Child Victim
KW - Child Abuse Effects
KW - Child Abuse-Dating Violence Link
KW - Child Abuse Victim
KW - Child Physical Abuse Effects
KW - Child Physical Abuse Victim
KW - Childhood Experience
KW - Childhood Victimization
KW - Social Learning Theory
KW - Feminist Theory
KW - Female Victim
KW - Male Offender
KW - Male Violence
KW - Male Victim
KW - Victim Turned Offender
KW - Domestic Violence Effects
KW - Domestic Violence Victim
KW - Spouse Abuse Effects
KW - Partner Violence
KW - Violence Against Women
KW - Attitudes Toward Violence
KW - Attitudes Toward Women
KW - Dating Violence Perceptions |