Prevalence and Correlates of Psychological Aggression in Male and Female College Students From Mainland China: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Using data from 209 college students from 2 universities in Mainland China, the prevalence and correlates of psychological aggression perpetration for men and women were examined. Results indicated that 82.8% of men and 90.4% of women had committed at least one act of psychological aggression against his or her current romantic partner over the course of their relationship. Being a victim of physical assault from his partner and higher levels of stress were associated with men's perpetration of psychological aggression. For women, physical assault victimization, greater alcohol use, and higher levels of shame were all related to psychological aggression perpetration. The results suggest the need for additional research to understand the development of psychological

Shame proneness and intimate relations in Mainland China

“…While some people cope with persistent feelings of shame by concealing deficiencies or withdrawing, others may react by expressing anger and hostility; evidence from Western research shows that shame proneness can be a precursor to intimate partner violence (e.g., Harper, Austin, Cercone, & Arias, ). Among Mainland Chinese young adults, higher levels of shame proneness were associated with greater attitudinal acceptance of dating violence (Anderson et al, ) and Chinese women's perpetration of psychological aggression (Johnson et al, ). Collectively, these findings suggest that proneness to experience shame may influence the way in which partners negotiate differences in their relationships, but we could not locate any studies that examined linkages between shame proneness and adaptive interactions in China.…”