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Personal History Dynamics of Dating Violence Among Israeli Students

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Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between dating violence and childhood experiences of aggression. The study specifically examines which of the following four variables is most strongly linked with the probability of partner assault in a current relationship: violence socialization, sexual abuse history, parental neglect, or childhood deviant behavior. Four hundred sixty-five Israeli undergraduate students participated in the study. The revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) was used to measure current violence. Personal history variables were taken from a large-scale questionnaire, the Personal and Relationships Profile (PRP). The results indicate that after controlling for the effect of other historical and demographic variables, the only historical factor which is significantly associated with partner assault is childhood deviant behavior. However, hierarchical regression analysis reveals that childhood deviant behavior is best explained by the three other types of childhood experiences, in addition to gender (male), nationality (non-Jewish) and religiousness (non-religious). We also found that while the probability of violence increases the longer the relationship lasts, it decreases in marital relationships and cohabitation. The implications of the findings are discussed.

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Acknowledgment

The authors wish to thank Prof. Murray A. Straus for his inspiration, advice and valuable comments, and the anonymous reviewer for his/her precise and in-depth review.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology & Human Services, Emek Yezreel College, Afula, 19300, Israel

    Ruhama Goussinsky & Dalit Yassour-Borochowitz

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  1. Ruhama Goussinsky
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  2. Dalit Yassour-Borochowitz
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Correspondence to Dalit Yassour-Borochowitz.

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Goussinsky, R., Yassour-Borochowitz, D. Personal History Dynamics of Dating Violence Among Israeli Students. J Fam Viol 22, 247–258 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-007-9068-0

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