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Motivations for self-defensive aggression in dating relationships
Ryan C Shorey1, Christine Meltzer, Tara L Cornelius
1University of Tennessee, USA. rshorey@utk.edu
Violence and Victims
|November 11, 2010
Summary
This study explored motivations for physical aggression in college students. Contrary to expectations, both males and females reported numerous reasons for aggression, with females not being more likely to use it in self-defense.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Criminology
- Sociology
Background:
- Dating violence is influenced by various motivations, including self-defense.
- Previous research suggests females may be more likely to use physical aggression in self-defense.
- Existing assessment measures for self-defense are limited, hindering understanding of self-defensive aggression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine motivations for physical aggression among male and female college students.
- To address limitations in current self-defense assessment measures.
- To investigate gender differences in self-defensive aggression.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a contextual self-report measure of self-defensive aggression.
- Collected data from male and female college students.
- Developed a specific measure for the current study.
Main Results:
- Numerous motivations for physical aggression were endorsed by both males and females.
- Females were not more likely to use aggression in self-defense, contrary to some previous expectations.
- The study identified a range of reasons contributing to physical aggression in dating contexts.
Conclusions:
- Findings challenge prior assumptions about gender differences in self-defensive aggression.
- Highlights the need for nuanced understanding of motivations behind physical aggression in dating relationships.
- Informs future research directions and dating violence prevention strategies.
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