Gender Differences and Gender-Related Constructs in Dating Aggression

Abstract

This study examined frequency and severity of physical, symbolic, and psychological aggression between college men and women in 85 heterosexual dating relationships and the extent to which gender role constructs predicted reports of aggression. Although there were no differences on self-reports of perpetration, men reported higher victimization levels than women and higher physical and psychological victimization levels than perpetration levels, whereas women reported higher symbolic perpetration levels than victimization levels. As a result, averaging reports from both partners suggested that women in existing college dating relationships are more aggressive than men. For both genders, stereotypically negative masculine (i.e., instrumental) characteristics were the best predictors of aggressive acts. Perpetrators’ positive masculinity and femininity predicted self-reports of decreased aggression that were not confirmed by their partners. Whereas men’s traditional attitudes about the male role predicted greater male aggression, women’s less traditional attitudes predicted increased severity of female physical aggression.

Direccionalidad y expresión de la violencia en las relaciones de noviazgo de los jóvenes = Directionality and violence expression in dating relationships of young people

“…Estos hallazgos se contraponen a los diversos estudios que indican una mayor tendencia de las mujeres a cometer actos agresivos de tipo psicológico/verbal (e.g. Corral y Calvete, 2006;Hird, 2000;Malik et al, 1997;Muñoz-Rivas, Graña et al, 2007b;Muñoz-Rivas, González, Graña y Peña, 2007;Riggs y O'Leary, 1996) y de tipo fí-sico medio como bofetadas, agarrones o empujones (e.g., Clark, Beckett, Wells y Dungee-Anderson, 1994;Follingstad, Wright, Lloyd y Sebastian, 1991;Foshee, 1996;Gray y Foshee, 1997;Jenkins y Aube, 2002;Sears, Byers y Price, 2007;Sharpe y Taylor, 1999). A pesar de que la literatura indica mayoritariamente que, en las relaciones de noviazgo, las mujeres cometen más actos agresivos que los hombres, entendemos que podría deberse a que no son tan reacias como los hombres a expresar que abofetean o empujan a sus parejas, probablemente por la mayor tolerancia social (potenciada por el cine y la publicidad) de las agresiones medias cuando son perpetradas por las mujeres (González y Santana, 2001).…”

Gender differences in the intention to react to aggressive action at home and in the workplace

“…These and other gender differences are evident in studies of different perceptions and meanings attributed by men and women to aggression [Archer and Haigh, 1997a;Bettancourt and Miller, 1996;Byrne and Arias, 1997] and fear of crime, such as fear from being a victim of violence [Goodey, 1994;Haghihi and Sorenson, 1996;Thompson et al, 1992]. It has also been demonstrated that women are more likely to self-report aggressive behavior than men in intimate relationships [Jenkins and Aube, 2002;Straus et al, 1980]. However, it is important to note that there are differing opinions on this finding [see: Johnson and Ferraro, 2000;White et al, 2000].…”

Review of Research on Female Physical and Psychological Aggression

“…Jenkins and Aube Jenkins (2002) stated that women, in comparison to men, are in fact more aggressive in some conditions, and thus more likely to kick, hit or physically assault their husbands. Meanwhile, there is a controversy in the intimate partner violence (IPV) related to the rates and consequences of women's use of aggression against the men they love.…”