The Effects of Intimacy and Target Sex on Direct Aggression: Further Evidence

Abstract

The effects on aggression of target sex and relationship with the target were investigated using self‐report data. One hundred and seventy‐four participants (115 female) reported on acts of direct aggression in the last 2 years toward intimate partners, known and unknown same‐sex targets, and known and unknown opposite‐sex targets. Women's self‐reported aggression was higher toward partners than other targets, replicating previous findings regarding women's intimate partner aggression. Women's aggression was consistently higher toward same‐sex than opposite‐sex targets, but the effect of knowing the target was inconsistent. Men's self‐reported aggression was more frequent toward same‐sex than opposite‐sex targets—including intimate partners—and more frequent toward known than unknown targets. Results are discussed with reference to a partner‐specific reduction in women's fear, and sex differences in threshold for classifying someone as “known well.” Limitations of the present sample and suggestions for future work are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 38:272‐280, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Do the same risk and protective factors influence aggression toward partners and same‐sex others?

“…This occurred even though men perceived that IPV to be more costly than women did, which is consistent with previous findings (e.g., Cross & Campbell, 2012) that men are more inhibited about physically aggressing to a female partner than to another man. There was no indication in the present study that costs were more closely associated with IPV in men than women., Expressive beliefs were a positive predictor of IPV in the present study, and this was more pronounced for women.…”

Testing predictions from the male control theory of men's partner violence

“…Men were found to show less physical aggression to a partner than to a samesex non-partner, and women to show more physical aggression to a partner than to a same-sex non-partner, but with a smaller difference. Cross and Campbell (2012) extended this using self-reported aggression and found similar results. This supports the claim (e.g., Felson, 2000Felson, , 2002 that norms of chivalry cause men to inhibit physical aggression towards partners, and that women do not owing to the lack of social sanctions associated with their aggression.…”

“…The first finding is therefore consistent with Felson's emphasis on the sex of opponent in his chivalry explanation. Cross and Campbell (2012) extended this by exploring five targets (partner; same-sex other who was known, same-sex other who was unknown, opposite sex other known and opposite sex other unknown) and supported this finding further.…”

“…We also found, again consistent with many previous studies (Archer, 2004), that in the same sample men reported more physical aggression to same-sex non-intimates than women did. Thus, we added to the small number of studies (Archer, 2004, Table I; Cross & Campbell, 2012;Cross et al, 2011;Klevens et al, 2012;Swahn et al, 2008) that have demonstrated these contrasting patterns within the same sample.…”

“…First to establish the contrasting pattern of sex differences outlined above, and second to assess whether the men's aggression to a partner is lower than that to other men, and women's is greater to a partner than to other women. To do this, we calculated the within-subjects effect size measures used by Cross and Campbell (2012) cited above: these constitute what has been termed a "target shift" (Davidovic, Bell, Ferguson, Gorski, & Campbell, 2011).…”