NCJ Number
138416
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1991) Pages: 247-256
Date Published
1991
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Data collected from a survey of 2,602 women and 2,105 men enrolled in 32 institutions of higher learning in the United States were used to examine the incidence of courtship violence.
Abstract
According to the findings, approximately 81 percent of the male respondents inflicted and/or received some form of verbal aggression at least once during their heterosexual relationships, while about 87 percent of the women reported verbal aggression. The proportion of respondents who had experienced physical aggression was lower: 37 percent of the men and 35 percent of the women had inflicted physical violence, while 39 percent of the men and 32 percent of the women had sustained physical aggression. There were no statistical differences based on ethnicity, family income, or college characteristics. The results showed regional differences in the use of both types of aggression and in the receipt of physical aggression for men. Future research should study ongoing relationships to identify dyadic characteristics predictive of premarital heterosexual violence and should attempt to distinguish between instigation and self-defense as motives for violence. 3 tables, 1 note, and 42 references