Physical Intimate Partner Violence and Controlling Behavior in Mexican University Students and Their Attitudes Toward...

This study explored patterns of controlling behavior, physical violence, and attitudes toward social limits in young Mexican university students in light of the effect that socialization processes have in attitudes toward social norms and violent behavior as indicated in some of the literature. A total of 437 male and female heterosexual participants residing in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, provided information on their perpetration/victimization experiences of controlling behavior (by means of the Controlling Behaviors Scale) and physical violence (using the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales [CTS2]) and their attitudes toward social limits (using the Attitudes Toward Social Limits scale). Results indicate similar chronicity levels of experienced controlling behavior and physical violence perpetration/victimization between the sexes. Participants expressed major tendency to adjust to a social norm rather than overstepping it. Males tend to overstep social limits more often than females, although no significant linear relationship was found between abusive behavior and attitudes promoting the infringement of social norms. Higher chronicity levels were rather found by dyadic type, relationships with mutual physical intimate partner violence (IPV), and controlling behavior in comparison with relationships where unidirectional violence prevails. Implications of findings involve the acknowledgment of change in dynamics used by more educated young Mexicans, and the recognition of IPV in these populations as a heterogeneous phenomenon for primary and secondary interventions.