Joking Violence Among Highly Committed Individuals

• NCJ Number: 209706
• Journal: Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 17 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2002 Pages: 591-610
• Author(s): Ximena B. Arriaga
• Date Published: June 2002
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the relationship commitment and hypothesizes that highly committed individuals who sustain high levels of partner violence are more likely to reinterpret these violent behaviors as mere instances of joking around.

Abstract

Over many decades, significant research has been conducted with much learned about the nature of violence in intimate relationships. Cognitive consistency theories support the idea that targets of partner violence may reinterpret violent behaviors to be relatively benign. In addition, cognitive consistency theories suggest that individuals in loving relationships who become targets of violence should experience substantial mental discomfort. Current research suggests that not all targets of partner violence reinterpret violent acts to constitute mere joking around; instead, this reinterpretation process is unique to highly committed individuals. Adopting a cognitive consistency framework, this study focused on reinterpreting violent acts as instances of joking, as yet another method of coping with partner violence that has not received attention in the current literature. It was hypothesized that highly committed individuals who experienced high levels of violence during conflicts would also report severely violent behaviors as mere instances of joking around. Participants for the study consisted of 54 males and females who reported that their current partner (either married or dating) had engaged in at least 1 physically violent behavior during a conflict. The results supported the hypothesis. Those who experienced higher levels of violence were more likely to report physically forceful behaviors in a joking context. In addition, individuals who experienced high conflict violence were more likely to report severe acts of partner violence in a joking context and this latter finding was true of highly committed individuals but not of less committed individuals. References