Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Precipitants of partner aggression.

Susan G O'Leary1, Amy M Smith Slep

  • 1Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA. susan.oleary@sunysb.edu

Journal of Family Psychology : JFP : Journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43)
|June 8, 2006
PubMed
Summary

In couples with young children, partner actions frequently trigger psychological and physical aggression. Women often escalate aggression following verbal provocation, while men may react to physical aggression.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A University-Military Partnership to Establish a Quality Assurance and Training System to Sustain the FAIR System for Determining Incidents of Family Maltreatment in the US Army.

Prevention science : the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research·2026
Same author

Cumulative Recall Across Frequent Brief Assessments of Interpersonal Violence: Reliability and Validity.

Journal of interpersonal violence·2026
Same author

Can measuring coercive conflict in family dyads be easier? The psychometrics of coercion measures.

Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43)·2026
Same author

Public Battles: The U.S. Military's Digital Messaging on Behavioral Health and Violence Prevention.

Military medicine·2026
Same author

Understanding early aggression: Empirically derived guidance on type, frequency, and severity in infants and toddlers.

Infant behavior & development·2025
Same author

Feasibility and Usability of an Open-Group Program for Alcohol Use Disorder.

Military medicine·2025

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Family Studies

Background:

  • Partner aggression is a significant issue in cohabiting relationships.
  • Understanding the triggers of aggression is crucial for intervention.
  • Previous research has not fully explored the reciprocal nature of aggression precipitants in couples with children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine self-reported precipitants of psychological and physical partner aggression.
  • To investigate gender differences in aggression triggers within cohabiting couples.
  • To explore the role of partner's aggression (verbal and physical) as a precipitant.

Main Methods:

  • A community sample of 453 cohabiting couples with 3- to 7-year-old children participated.
  • Data were collected through self-report measures of partner aggression and its precipitants.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Statistical analyses were used to compare male and female reports and identify significant predictors.

    • Main Results:

    • Partners were identified as the primary precipitants for most partner aggression.
    • Men, excluding maritally discordant men, were more prone to citing physical partner aggression as a trigger for their own aggression.
    • Women, including maritally discordant women, more frequently endorsed partner verbal aggression than physical aggression as a precipitant for their mild physical aggression, suggesting an escalation pattern.

    Conclusions:

    • Partner behaviors are central to the cycle of aggression in couples.
    • Gendered patterns exist in how aggression is precipitated and escalated.
    • Nonaggressive partner behaviors also commonly precipitate aggression and warrant further investigation.