Relational Aggression in College Students' Dating Relationships

Abstract

This study focused on romantic relational aggression, a variable that appears to predict intimate partner violence but remains understudied in the college population. College student participants (N = 260) between the ages of 18 and 25 who reported that they had been in a romantic relationship during the past year completed measures of romantic relational aggression, sex role attitudes, acceptance of couple violence, and trait anger. Although respondent gender and sex role attitudes predicted romantic relational aggression as expected, gender did not moderate the relationship between sex role attitudes and relational aggression. Acceptance of violence predicted the perpetration of romantic relational aggression above and beyond the effects of trait anger and sex role attitudes. Trait anger also predicted romantic relational aggression.

Keywords:

• acceptance of violence
• gender
• intimate partner violence
• sex role attitudes
• trait anger