Related Experiment Videos
Beyond the Conflict Tactics Scale: assessing gender differences in partner violence
1Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado, USA.
Violence and Victims
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Women engage in partner assault as often as men, but men inflict more severe violence, leading to greater injury for women. This clarifies why women are more frequently victims of severe partner assault.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Criminology
- Public Health
Background:
- Previous studies on partner assault, using methods like the Conflict Tactics Scales, reported equal rates of assault perpetration by men and women.
- This contradicts data from medical, legal, and social services, which indicate women are more often victims of partner assault.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reconcile the discrepancy between self-reported partner assault rates and victim data.
- To investigate the severity and consequences of partner violence among young adults.
Main Methods:
- Utilized self-reported data from a national sample of young adults.
- Analyzed the frequency, severity, and outcomes of partner assaults.
Main Results:
- Confirmed high rates of minor assaults perpetrated by both men and women.
- Found men were more likely to engage in repeated severe assaults.
- Women experienced physical injury and required medical treatment more frequently following male-perpetrated violence.
Conclusions:
- The discrepancy in partner assault reporting is partially explained by the severity of male violence.
- Men's violence is associated with more severe outcomes, including injury, making women more likely to be victims of severe partner assault.