Domestic violence spans the range of violent encounters and includes phy

sical assaults, sexual assaults, verbal assaults, intimidation, threats, extreme

emotional or psychological neglect and even death. The hypothesis of this pap
er is do students believe that partner abuse is a problem on college campus. To
find out this I will include a literary review, which will include theories of
why it might occur and prof from other sources. Most important a survey given o
ut to Curry college students and its results will be included. I choose this t
opic to educate students on the violence in dating relationships.
Literary review
Partner violence is typically defined as an act carried out with the int
ention of causing physical or mental pain to another person. Partner abuse is no
t only important as a phenomenon in itself but also because it precedes marital
violence and thus may provide a link in transmission of violence. Here are some
theories that may provide some reasons how partner abuse occurs and the prof th
at it is a problem on college campuses.
On theory of dating violence is the social learning theory. This theory
examines the effects of either experiencing abuse as child or witnessing abusiv
e between one's parents. Reachers of dating violence have found that there is a
history of abuse is related to later involvement in an abusive relationship for
both males and females. Also, found that having been abused as a child predict
ed later involvement in abuse for women but not for men.
Abusive men were more likely to have witnessed violence between their parents th
an were women in an abusive marriage. Similarly, found that although more abuse
d wives, they still were less likely to have witnessed marital violence than had
non husbands. Therefore, although a history of either witnessing or experienci
ng abuse seems of either witnessing or experience abuse seems prevalent between
men and women in abusive relationships, the exact nature of that influence on me
n and women remains unclear.
(Alexander, Pamela C Journal of marriage and the family p 657-667)
The Feminist theory has also been used to explaining the presence of vio
lence between males and females. Feminist theory views violence as a manifestat
ion of the patriarchal structure in our culture, which is reflected in the patte
rns of behaviors and attitudes of individuals. Discoveries that abusive man fre
quently espouses more traditional views about women than do non abusive men. Co
nversely more recent research has found no difference between men's attitudes to
ward women and violent behavior toward their partners. Evidence regarding women
's attitudes is similarly mixed. There is no found difference between abused wi
ves and those in discordant or satisfied marriages in their attitudes toward wom
en. Also, no found relationship between adherence and feminist ideology. Also,
the experience of sexual aggression in a dating relationship. Other researches
have concluded that the discrepance between some couple's attitudes toward wome
n sex roles may be a more significant predictor of violence than the actual valu
es of either the man or the women. In summary support for a feminist conceptua
lization of the integration transmission of violence requires of an association
between violence and patriarchal values both within an abusive couple and betwee
n generations. Also, Males reported being more verbally abusive to their partne
rs than did females as well as receiving substantially more verbally abuse from
their partners than they themselves extended. On the other hand, females did no
t report as much verbal abuse in their dating relationships. However, both male
s and females reported that their own level of verbal aggression was similar to
that of their parents. Also, males reported themselves for being more physicall
y violent than did females and for being more abused themselves by their parents
. Also the length of the dating relationship was found to be significantly rela
ted to the amount of verbal abuse extended and received. It was not found to p
redict physical violence in the relationship.
(Alexander, Pamela C Journal of marriage and the family 657-667)
The following paragraphs will include the prof from other surveys and st
udies that were published. An article Maclean's magazine reported a study that
was conducted in a Canadian college. 3,142 students were question. The finding
where that 22 per cent of the women surveyed said that they have been physically
abused. 29 per cent said that they had been sexually abused, by boyfriends or m
ale accountancies in the previous 12 months. 81 per cent of the female responde
nts said they have been abused in some way or another.
(Deacon, James Maclean's p54)
In the Journal of Interpersonal Violence a survey was given out to 465 c
ollege students. The survey regarded of their frequency of inflicting and susta
ining aggression in their dating relation ships. Their findings suggested that
males are less likely than females to take responsibility for violence.
Also, males were found to be more likely to place the blame on their partner.
It was also found that males were found more likely to use alcohol or drugs duri
ng violent episodes.
(LeJeune, Chad Journal of interpersonal violence p181-94)
Also, in another edition of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence had po
sted an article on the psychological abuse in college students. 1,625 college s
tudents' males and females were surveyed. The results showed that males in a re
lationship reported higher levels of psychological abuse and fewer positive beha
viors than did males.
(Caulfield, Marie B Journal of interpersonal violence p350-64)
Sampling
This survey was handed out to twenty random curry college students. Out
of the twenty of the students nine were male and eleven were female. Also, it w
as given out to all class standing in college from freshman to seniors. Two of
the twenty where freshman, eight were sophomores, three were juniors, and seven
were seniors.
Data Collection
To collect the data of the survey I gave it out at the Levin library whi
ch is located at Curry college. It was given out during day and evening times.
Data Analysis
All figures and data will be included in the preceding pages after the c
onclusion. This is the data concluded from the twenty surveyed students. Quest
ion one asks is it okay to throw or smash objects during arguments with a partne
r. As you can see in figure 1 that the majority of the students surveyed felt t
hat it is not okay to throw or smash objects during arguments with a partner.
Question two states is it okay to shove or grab a partner when angary.
As you can see in figure 2 the majority of the students surveyed disagreed or st
rongly disagree that it is okay to shove or grab a partner when angary.
In question three it was asked is it okay to intimidate your partner wit
h shouting or threats. As shown in figure 3 the majority of the students survey
ed disagree to strongly disagree that it okay to intimidate your partner with s
houting or threats.
Question four ask the students if alcohol contributes to an abusive situ
ation. Figure 4 shows that the majority of the students surveyed strongly either
agree or agree that alcohol does contributes to an abusive situation.
Question five asks the student if they feel drugs contribute to abusive
situations. Show in figure 5 the students stated that the majority of the stude
nts surveyed strongly either agree or agree that drugs contribute to abusive sit
uations.
Question six states that abusive people probably come from abusive famil
ies. Figure six shows that the students had a split decision. Forty percent o
f the students surveyed agree that abusive people probably come from abusive fam
ilies. Another 40% were undecided.
Question seven asks the students if they have ever seen incidently of ph
ysical or verbal abuse on campuses. Figure 7 shows that 75% of the students su
rveyed had seen incident of physical or verbal abuse on campuses.
Question nine asks the students if they think that abusive relationships
are a problem at Curry. Figure nine shows that 60% of the students surveyed fe
el that abusive relationships are a problem at Curry.
Question ten asked the students if they have ever attempted to prevent
an abusive situation on campus. Figure ten shows 70% of the students surveyed d
id not attempt to prevent an abusive situation on campus.
Conclusion
The literature review states two theories that may explain the causes of
partner abuse. The first theory discussed was the social learning theory. Whi
ch examines the effects of either experiencing abuse as child or witnessing abus
ive between one's parents. The second was the feminist theory which view's viol
ence as a manifestation of the patriarchal structure in our culture, which is re
flected in the patterns of behaviors and attitudes of individuals. From the da
ta of the survey it was found that the majority of the students surveyed felt it
was not acceptable to shove, grab, smash or throwing objects, or to intimidate
a partner during arguments. The survey students also felt that alcohol and drug
s do contribute to abusive situations.
The two most important findings that support my hypothesis. The first w
as that 75% of the surveyed stated that yes they have seen an incident of abuse
either physical or verbal on campus. The second was that 60% of the student sur
veyed felt it was a problem on Curry colleges campuses. It has been shown in th
is paper that domestic abuse in the form of partner abuse is a problem on colleg
e campuses. I feel that this topic should be researched more widely and should
be dealt with.
Work Cited
Alexander, Pamela C. Journal of marriage and the family What is transmitted in t
he interggenerational transition of violence. 53, August 1991: p657
-667
Caulfield, Marie B Journal of interpersonal violence The Assessment of dating ag
gression: Empirical evaluation of the conflict tactics scale v7 n3 sep. 19
92: p350-64
Deacon, James Maclean's Sexes what is 'abuse'? v106 February /22/ 93 p54
LeJeune, Chad Journal of interpersonal violence Taking Responsibility: sex diffe
rences in reporting dating violence v.9 n.2 p181-94 1995
Hypothesis: Do students believe that partner abuse is a problem on colle
ge campus.
Introduction
1
Literary review
1
Sampling
4
Data Collection
4
Data Analysis
4
Conclusion
6
Work Cited
7
Partner Abuse