NCJ Number
200767
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2003 Pages: 197-217
Date Published
April 2003
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Using the revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS), this study explored psychological, physical, and sexual aggression in dating relationships.
Abstract
The CTS developed by Straus has come under repeated criticism on several grounds. Among the criticisms is the claim that the CTS does not consider the context and the consequences of violence in the home and that not enough physically aggressive acts are included in the scale. In response, Straus revised the CTS to include sexual aggression and injury. The authors used the revised CTS to examine physical aggression in the dating relationships of 481 college students. A demographic questionnaire was also administered to gain more information about the study population. Results indicated that females tended to use more psychological abuse than their male counterparts. No gender differences were discovered in the use of physical aggression; and psychological and physical aggression were found to co-exist within relationships. Surprisingly, no gender differences were noted in the amount or severity of sustained injuries. Also, no gender differences existed in rates of sexual victimization, although males did report using more sexual coercion than females. The authors note that the results confirm previous research that has shown higher rates of psychological aggression by females and equal rates of physical aggression by females and males. The authors suggest that future research should use different scales to assess the consequences of aggressive acts, such as depression, stress, anxiety, and substance abuse. References