NCJ Number
53617
Journal
REVIEW OF PUBLIC DATA USE Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1979) Pages: 30-38
Date Published
1979
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH VIOLENCE AND TOLERANCE FOR VIOLENCE IS EXPLORED IN AN ANALYSIS OF DATA FROM THE NATIONAL OPINION RESEARCH CENTER'S 1975 GENERAL POPULATION SURVEY.
Abstract
THE SURVEY SAMPLE (1,490 SUBJECTS) REPRESENTED A CROSS-SECTION OF THE ADULT POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES. SUBJECTS WERE ASKED WHETHER THEY HAD EVER BEEN PUNCHED OR BEATEN AS A CHILD AND/OR AS AN ADULT, AND WHETHER THEY WOULD APPROVE OF ONE MAN HITTING ANOTHER, BOTH GENERALLY AND IN SPECIFIC SITUATIONS DESCRIBED BY SURVEY INTERVIEWERS AND INVOLVING VARIOUS DEGREES AND TYPES OF PROVOCATION. MEN WERE MUCH MORE LIKELY THAN WOMEN TO HAVE EXPERIENCED BEATINGS. MEN WERE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN BEATEN AS ADULTS. SEPARATED OR DIVORCED WOMEN AND DIVORCED MEN WERE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN BEATEN AS ADULTS THAN WERE SUBJECTS IN OTHER MARITAL STATUS CATEGORIES. THE RANK ORDER (HIGH TO LOW) FOR TOLERANCE OF VIOLENCE WAS AS FOLLOWS: SUBJECTS WHO HAD BEEN BEATEN BOTH AS CHILDREN AND AS ADULTS, SUBJECTS WHO HAD BEEN BEATEN ONLY AS CHILDREN, SUBJECTS WHO HAD BEEN BEATEN ONLY AS ADULTS, AND SUBJECTS WHO HAD NEVER BEEN BEATEN. FEMALES WHO HAD NEVER BEEN BEATEN HAD SLIGHTLY HIGHER TOLERANCE FOR VIOLENCE THAN DID THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS. HOWEVER, THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING BEATEN INCREASED TOLERANCE FOR VIOLENCE TO A GREATER DEGREE IN MALES THAN IN FEMALES. THE FINDINGS SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THE MORE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ONE HAS WITH VIOLENCE, THE MORE TOLERANT OF VIOLENCE ONE BECOMES. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ARE OFFERED. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)