Abstract
This study examines the relationship between age, gender, and marital aggression by comparing conflict resolution strategies, physical aggression, and injury across 6,185 married young, middle and older aged men and women. We found a consistent age effect such that younger participants used more maladaptive conflict resolution strategies, engaged in more physical arguments, and sustained more injuries than older participants. In terms of gender differences, women compared to men used calm discussions less (the least reported by women who were young) and heated arguments more. Analyses on the relation among age, gender, and injuries showed that more young and middle-aged women than men reported that they had sustained injuries at the hands of their spouse and more young men than women reported inflicting injury on their spouse. The results are discussed in relation to research on gender differences in intimate violence and the association of age and intimate aggression in general.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Archer, J. (2000). Sex differences in aggression between heterosexual partners: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 126, 651–680.
Archer, J. (2002). Sex differences in physically aggressive acts between heterosexual partners: A meta-analytic review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 7, 313–351.
Bookwala, J., & Jacobs, J. (2004). Age, marital processes, and depressed affect. The Gerontologist, 44, 328–338.
Brush, L. D. (1990). Violent acts and injurious outcomes in married couples: Methodological issues in the National Survey of Families and Households. Gender & Society, 4, 56–67.
Carstensen, L. L. (1992). Social and emotional patterns in adulthood: Support for socioemotional selectivity theory. Psychology and Aging, 7, 331–338.
Carstensen, L. L., Gottman, J. M., & Levenson, R. W. (1995). Emotional behavior in long-term marriage. Psychology and Aging, 10, 140–149.
Coyne, S. M., Archer, J., & Elsea, M. (2004). Cruel intentions on television and in real life: Can viewing indirect aggression increase viewers’ subsequent indirect aggression? Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 88, 234–253.
Dobash, R. P., Dobash, R. E., Wilson, M., & Daly, M. (1992). The myth of sexual symmetry in marital violence. Social Problems, 39, 71–91.
Frieze, I. H. (2000). Violence in close relationships – development of a research area: Comment on Archer (2000). Psychological Bulletin, 126, 681–684.
Frieze, I. H., & McHugh, M. C. (1992). Power and influence strategies in violent and nonviolent marriages. Psychology of Women Quarterly Special Isssue: Women and Power, 16(4), 449–465.
Gottfredson, M. R., & Hirschi, T. (1990). A general theory of crime. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
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.
Nakhaie, M. R. (1998). Asymmetry and symmetry of conjugal violence. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 29, 549–567.
Notarius, C. I., Benson, P. R., Sloane, D., Vanzetti, N. A., & Hornyak, L. M. (1989). Exploring the interface between perception and behavior: An analysis of marital interaction in distressed and nondistressed couples. Behavioral Assessment, 11, 39–64.
Ridley, C. A., Wilhelm, M. S., & Surra, C. A. (2001). Married couples’ conflict responses and marital quality.Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 18, 517–534.
Ron, P., & Lowenstein, A. (1999). Loneliness and unmet needs of intimacy and sexuality—their effect on phenomenon of spousal abuse in second marriages of the widowed elderly. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 31, 69–89.
Stets, J. E. (1990). Verbal and physical aggression in marriage. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 52(2), 501–514.
Straus, M. A. (1979). Measuring intrafamily conflict and violence: The Conflict Tactics (CT) scales. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 41, 75–88.
Straus, M. A. (1995). Trends in cultural norms and rates of partner violence: An update to 1992. In S. M. Stith & M. A. Straus (Eds.), Understanding partner violence: Prevalence, causes, consequences, and solutions. (pp. 30–33). Minneapolis, MN: National Council on Family Relations.
Straus, M. A., & Kaufman Kantor, G. (1994). Change in spouse assault rates from 1975 to 1992: A comparison of three national survers in the United States. Paper presented at the 13th World Congress of Sociology, Bielefeld, Germany, July 1994.
Straus, M. A., & Gelles, R. J. (1986). Societal change and change in family violence from 1975 to 1985 as revealed by two national surveys. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 48, 465–479.
Suitor, J. J., Pillemer, K., & Straus, M. A. (1990). Marital violence in a life course perspective. In M. A. Straus & R. Gelles (Eds.), Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations to violence in 8,145 families. (pp. 305–317). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers.
Sweet, J. A., & Bumpass, L. L. (1996). The National Survey of Families and Households—Waves 1 and 2: Data description and documentation. Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison (http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/nsfh/home.htm).
White, J. W., & Kowalski, R. M. (1998). Male violence toward women: An integrated perspective. In R. G. Geen & E. Donnerstein (Eds.), Human aggression: Theories, research, and implications for social policy. (pp. 203–228). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bookwala, J., Sobin, J. & Zdaniuk, B. Gender and Aggression in Marital Relationships: A Life-Span Perspective. Sex Roles 52, 797–806 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-005-4200-1
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-005-4200-1