NCJ Number
210072
Journal
Interpersonal Violence Volume: 17 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2002 Pages: 1102-1114
Date Published
October 2002
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether there was a link between violence in a dating relationship and the perpetrator's experience and expression of anger, using samples of 17 men who reported at least 1 incident of physical aggression toward a female dating partner (DV) and 16 men who reported a nonviolent interaction history (NV).
Abstract
The two samples of college-aged men were administered the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), which measures State Anger (intensity of angry feelings at the time of administration); Trait Anger (general frequency with which angry feelings are experienced); Anger In (tendency to withhold anger expression); Anger Out (degree to which anger is behaviorally expressed); and Anger Control (degree to which angry feelings are controlled and reduced). Another strategy used to assess anger in the samples was having the men think aloud during anger-arousing simulated situations. Articulations were recorded for later coding of the presence of angry affect and aggressive verbalizations. The STAXI results show that DV men scored higher than NV men on the scales of Trait Anger, Anger In, and Anger Out, but lower on Anger Control. Thus, partner-violent men not only express more outward forms of anger but may also feel more intense levels of anger arousal than do their nonviolent counterparts. The simulated anger scenarios, however, did not show any significant difference between the two samples in terms of the mean number of anger and/or rage statements; however, the DV men did make significantly more statements of verbal aggression and belligerence, suggesting a lower level of social skills in managing expressions of anger. These findings are interpreted in the context of social learning theories of partner violence. 2 tables, 1 figure, 5 notes, and 33 references