Violence in the Marital Dyad as a Predictor of Violence in the Peer Relationship of Older Adolescents/Young Adults

• NCJ Number: 158202
• Journal: Violence and Victims Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1995) Pages: 35-41
• Author(s): P J Cantrell; D I MacIntyre; K J Sharkey; V Thompson
• Date Published: 1995
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study used self-report data from 144 male and 112 female college students to examine if violent parental conflict tactics predicted the use of similarly violent tactics in respondents' same-sex and opposite-sex relationships.

Abstract

The respondents completed a demographics questionnaire and the Conflict Tactics Scale. The results showed that father-to-mother violence or abuse predicted violence or abuse in all combinations of peer relationships for both men and women in this sample. Mother-to-father violence or abuse showed a less consistent pattern in that it predicted violence behaviors among young adults, but not the more severe abusive behaviors. The data appear to be consistent with social learning theory and cultural spillover theory. While the data showed that mothers of respondents were as violent as fathers, the fathers emerged as stronger models or legitimizers of violent behavior for their children. 1 table and 21 references