Situational predictors of violent intentions: Results from a factorial survey

Abstract

Though many sociological and criminological theories of violence provide a role for both situational and individual-level factors, research largely focuses on individual-level characteristics. The current research, drawing on the psychological and sociological aggression literatures, utilizes a factorial survey approach to identify important situational risk factors. Multi-level regression results indicate that provocation, aggressive cues, and the presence of an audience are all statistically significant risk factors. Moreover, these factors maintain their importance even after statistically controlling for well-known individual-level characteristics. These results highlight the importance of situational factors and serve as a call for more situationally oriented research and theory on violence.

Keywords:

• Violence
• Aggression

Notes

1 Present address: Criminal Justice and Criminology Department, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4872.

1 Sample female vignette: It's Friday night and you and your partner, who you have been dating for six months, are at a party and are having a few drinks. The room you are in is crowded and you see a lot of your friends. After finishing your drink, you excuse yourself and go to the bathroom. When you return, you see that a White female is sitting in your spot and flirting with your partner, who appears visibly annoyed by this person. You notice that this person is significantly smaller than you and is wearing tight jeans, a tank top, and has tattoos on her arms. You walk over and ask the woman to move so that you can have your seat back. The other woman stands up and gets in your face. You don’t like this very much, so you reach for your partner's hand, indicating that you’d like to leave. The other female calls you a bitch and tells you to get lost. Your partner moves to your side and urges you to walk away. The room suddenly gets quiet, as everyone turns to watch and see what happens next. The other female mumbles something under her breath and walks away.