NCJ Number
120785
Journal
Journal of College Student Development Volume: 30 Issue: 5 Dated: (September 1989) Pages: 432-439
Date Published
1989
Length
8 pages
Annotation
A questionnaire survey that received usable responses from 422 students at a State university provided information about how individuals perceive and react to violence in their dating relationships and the reasons they stay in the violent relationships.
Abstract
The majority of participants were in their sophomore or senior years. Females slightly outnumbered males, and most respondents were white. The students were asked to think about their experiences with one current dating partner or with their most recent dating partner during the past year. A total of 69.7 percent of the respondents had experienced some kind of violence in their dating relationships in the past year. None reported physical abuse only, 56 percent experienced some form of verbal abuse, and 44 percent experienced both verbal and physical abuse. More than half of those involved in violence said that they and their partners equally initiated aggression. A total of 76.8 percent of those involved in the violence also planned to continue in the relationship, with 33.8 percent expecting that the relationships would last through marriage. Findings supported previous research showing that when violence occurs in private settings and when individuals have invested a lot in the relationship, the individuals involved are more likely to continue the relationship. In addition, individuals who immediately try to reconcile with their partners following the violence are more likely to continue the relationship. Data table, 34 references.