Skip to main content

Observed Initiation and Reciprocity of Physical Aggression in Young, At-Risk Couples

Journal of Family Violence volume 22, pages 101–111 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

The present study examined sex differences in initiation of physical aggression as observed during discussion tasks and in the likelihood of a similar response from the partner. In addition, patterns for men and women in the prevalence of aggression initiation and partner reciprocation across 4 time points spanning approximately 9 years from late adolescence through the mid-20s are examined, as well as overall associations with reported aggression and injuries. Findings indicated that the young women were more likely than the men to initiate physical aggression at late adolescence. However, by the mid-20s in early adulthood there were no significant sex differences in initiation rates. The average rates of reciprocation across the 4 time points appeared to be similar for men and women. Women and men appeared more likely to report injuries if the couples observed involved mutual physical aggression in their interactions.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  • Archer, J. (2000). Sex differences in aggression between heterosexual partners: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 126, 651–680.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, O. W., Lee, C. Y., & Thelen, R. E. (1997). Gender differences in attributions of self-defense and control in interpartner aggression. Violence Against Women, 3, 462–481.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brush, L. (1990). Violent acts and injurious outcomes in married couples: Methodological issues in the National Survey of Families and Households. Gender & Society, 4, 156–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buss, D. M. (1987). Selection, evocation, and manipulation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53, 1214–1221.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capaldi, D. M., & Crosby, L. (1997). Observed and reported psychological and physical aggression in young, at-risk couples. Social Development, 6, 184–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capaldi, D. M., Crosby, L., & Stoolmiller, M. (1996). Predicting the timing of first sexual intercourse for at-risk adolescent males. Child Development, 67, 344–359.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capaldi, D. M., & Gorman-Smith, D. (2003). The development of aggression in young male/female couples. In P. Florsheim (Ed.), Adolescent romantic relations and sexual behavior: Theory, research, and practical implications (pp. 243–278), Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Capaldi, D. M., Kim, H. K., & Shortt, J. W. (2004). Women’s involvement in aggression in young adult romantic relationships: A developmental systems model. In M. Putallez, & K. L. Bierman (Eds.), Aggression, antisocial behavior, and violence among girls: A developmental perspective (pp. 223–241), New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Capaldi, D. M., & Owen, L. D. (2001). Physical aggression in a community sample of at-risk young couples: Gender comparisons for high frequency, injury, and fear. Journal of Family Psychology, 15, 425–440.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capaldi, D. M., Shortt, J. W., & Crosby, L. (2003). Physical and psychological aggression in at-risk young couples: Stability and change in young adulthood. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 49, 1–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cascardi, M., Langhinrichsen, J., & Vivian, D. (1992). Marital aggression, impact, injury, and health correlates for husbands and wives. Archives of Internal Medicine, 152, 1178–1184.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cascardi, M., & Vivian, D. (1995). Context for specific episodes of marital violence: Gender and severity of violence differences. Journal of Family Violence, 10, 265–293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. A. (1960). A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 20, 37–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cordova, J. V., Jacobson, N. S., Gottman, J. M., Rushe, R., & Cox, G. (1993). Negative reciprocity and communication in couples with a violent husband. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 104, 559–564.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeMaris, A. (1992). Male versus female initiation of aggression: The case of courtship violence. In E. C. Viano (Ed.), Intimate violence: Interdisciplinary perspectives (pp. 111–120), Washington, DC: Hemisphere.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dishion, T. J., Andrews, D. W., & Crosby, L. (1995). Antisocial boys and their friends in adolescence: Relationship characteristics, quality, and interactional processes. Child Development, 66, 139–151.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feld, S. L., & Straus, M. A. (1989). Escalation and desistance of wife assault in marriage. Criminology, 27, 141–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiebert, M. S., & Gonzalez, D. M. (1997). College women who initiate assaults on their male partners and the reasons offered for such behavior. Psychological Reports, 80, 583–590.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Follingstad, D. R., Wright, S., Lloyd, S., & Sebastian, J. A. (1991). Sex differences in motivations and effects in dating violence. Family Relations, 40, 51–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gelles, R. J., & Straus, M. A. (1988). Intimate violence: The causes and consequences of abuse in the American family. New York: Simon and Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gergen, M. (1990). Beyond the evil empire: Horsesplay and aggression. Aggression and Behavior, 16, 381–398.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gray, H. M., & Foshee, V. A. (1997). Adolescent dating violence: Differences between one-sided and mutually violent profiles. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 12, 126–141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harned, M. S. (2001). Abused women or abused men? An examination of the context and outcomes of dating violence. Violence and Victims, 16, 269–285.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Henton, J. M., Cate, R. M., Koval, J., Lloyd, S., & Christopher, F. S. (1983). Romance and violence in dating relationships. Journal of Family Issues, 4, 467–482.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, M. P. (1995). Patriarchal terrorism and common couple violence: Two forms of violence against women. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57, 283–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C. (1990). The national comorbidity survey. DIS Newsletter, 7(12), 1–2.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, H. K., & Capaldi, D. M. (2004). The association of antisocial behavior and depressive symptoms between partners and risk for aggression in romantic relationships. Journal of Family Psychology, 18, 82–96.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, E. (2002). Emerging perspectives in the study of physical aggression in intimate relationships. Couples Research and Therapy, 8, 3–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Makepeace, J. M. (1986). Gender differences in courtship violence victimization. Family Relations, 35, 383–388.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Markman, H. J., Notarius, C. I., Stephen, T., & Smith, T. (1981). Behavioral observation systems for couples: The current status. In E. Filsinger, & R. Lewis (Eds.), Assessing marriage: New behavioral approaches. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morse, B. J. (1995). Beyond the Conflict Tactics Scales: Assessing gender differences in partner violence. Violence and Victims, 10, 251–272.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O’Leary, K. D. (1999). Developmental and affective issues in assessing and treating partner aggression. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 6, 400–414.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Leary, K. D., & Slep, A. M. S. (2003). A dyadic longitudinal model of adolescent dating aggression. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 32, 314–327.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, G. R., Reid, J. B., & Dishion, T. J. (1992). A social learning approach: Antisocial boys (Vol. 4). Eugene, OR: Castalia Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scarr, S., & McCartney, K. (1983). How people make their own environments: A theory of genotype leading to environment effects. Child Development, 54, 424–435.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stets, J. E., & Straus, M. A. (1990). Gender differences in reporting marital violence and its medical and psychological consequences. In M. A. Straus, & R. J. Gelles (Eds.), Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations to violence in 8,145 families (pp. 151–166). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.

    Google Scholar 

  • Straus, M. A. (1997). Physical assaults by women partners: A major social problem. In M. R. Walsh (Ed.), Women, men and gender: Ongoing debates. New Haven: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Straus, M. A., Hamby, S. L., Boney-McCoy, S., & Sugarman, D. B. (1996). The revised conflict tactics scales (CTS2): Development and preliminary psychometric data. Journal of Family Issues, 17, 283–316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stubbs, J., Crosby, L., Forgatch, M., & Capaldi, D. M. (1998). Family and Peer Process Code: Training manual: A synthesis of three OSLC behavior codes. Eugene OR: Oregon Social Learning Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugarman, D. B., & Hotaling, G. I. (1989). Dating violence: Prevalence, context, and risk markers. In M. A. Pirog-Good, & J. E. Stets (Eds.), Violence in dating relationships: Emerging social issues (pp. 3–32). New York: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swan, S. C., & Snow, D. L. (2002). A typology of women’s use of violence in intimate relationships. Violence Against Women, 8, 286–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swan, S. C., & Snow, D. L. (2003). Behavioral and psychological differences among women who use violence in intimate relationships. Violence Against Women, 9, 75–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker, L. E. (1989). Psychology and violence against women. American Journal of Psychology, 44, 695–702.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, J. M., Cascardi, M., Avery-Leaf, S., & O’Leary, K. D. (2001). High school students’ responses to dating aggression. Violence and Victims, 16, 339–348.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yllö, K. A. (1993). Through a feminist lens: Gender, power, and violence. In R. J. Gelles & D. R. Loseke (Eds.), Current controversies on family violence (pp. 3–32). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

The Cognitive, Social and Affective Development, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) provided support for the Couples Study (HD 46364). Additional support was provided by Grant MH 37940 from the Antisocial and Other Personality Disorders Program, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), U.S. PHS; Grant DA 051485 from the Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Branch, NIDA, and Cognitive, Social, and Affective Development, NICHD, NIH, U.S. PHS; and Grant MH 46690 from the Prevention, Early Intervention, and Epidemiology Branch, NIMH, and Office of Research on Minority Health, U.S. PHS.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Oregon Social Learning Center, 160 East 4th Avenue, Eugene, OR, 97401, USA

    Deborah M. Capaldi, Hyoun K. Kim & Joann Wu Shortt

Authors
  1. Deborah M. Capaldi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hyoun K. Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joann Wu Shortt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Deborah M. Capaldi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Capaldi, D.M., Kim, H.K. & Shortt, J.W. Observed Initiation and Reciprocity of Physical Aggression in Young, At-Risk Couples. J Fam Viol 22, 101–111 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-007-9067-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-007-9067-1

Keywords

  • Observed physical aggression
  • Initiation
  • Reciprocation
  • Injury