Xavier Guadalupe-Diaz
Associate Professor, Framingham State University
Key Findings
- Respondents who were likely to report emotional abuse were also more likely to report lower levels of self-control.
- Alcohol consumption was found to be directly and positively correlated with reporting victimization by 13%.
- Being older, male, non-white, and heterosexual increased the odds of an individual reporting emotional abuse.
- Respondents that reported parental physical abuse were less likely to report emotional abuse.
- Individuals who report physical abuse were almost 550% more likely to report emotional abuse.
- Angry respondents were more likely to report emotional abuse than their less angry counterparts.
- Individuals with higher levels of social support were also less likely to report victimization.
Description
In the article, “Assessing Emotional Abuse Victimization and Perpetration: A Multi-Theoretical Examination,” Guadalupe-Diaz and his co-author examined intimate partner violence (IPV) among college students to determine how victimization fits into criminological frameworks. To conduct their study, the researchers surveyed more than 400 college students from two large state universities. The authors then matched the results to three theoretical frameworks: social learning theory, strain theory, and self-control theory. The social learning theory suggests that individuals learn social behavior by observing others in society. The strain theory attempts to understand to what extent social pressures impact an individual’s behavior to conform to social requirements. The self-control theory suggests that an individual’s attention and focus deficiencies are the cause of delinquency. The findings showed that strain theory was most supported in the research. Respondents who were likely to report emotional abuse were also more likely to report lower levels of self-control. Alcohol consumption was found to be directly and positively correlated with reporting victimization by 13%. Being older, male, non-white, and heterosexual increased the odds of an individual reporting emotional abuse. Respondents that reported parental physical abuse were less likely to report emotional abuse. Individuals who report physical abuse were almost 550% more likely to report emotional abuse as well. Angry respondents were more likely to report emotional abuse than their less angry counterparts. Individuals with higher levels of social support were also less likely to report victimization. In conclusion, the authors note that more research is required to determine the nuances of IPV and social learning theory to help build the understanding of IPV as a criminological issue rather than a social one.