Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychologv 1991. Vol 59. No 1.190-192
Copyright 1991 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 0022-006X/9I/S100
Husbands' Aggression Toward Wives and Mothers' and Fathers' Aggression Toward Children: Moderating Effects of Child Gender Ernest N. Jouriles and Stephanie H. LeCompte
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
University of Houston
This study assesses the role of child gender in moderating the association between husbands' aggression toward wives and parental aggression toward children. Participants were 73 mothers who experienced at least one incident of marital aggression during the past 12 months. Each mother had a child between 5 and 16 years of age. Hierarchical regression analyses indicate that the Husbands' Aggression Toward Wives X Child Gender interaction contributed unique variance to the prediction of both mothers'and fathers'aggression toward children after husbands'aggression toward wives, child gender, and child age were controlled. Pearson correlations indicate that husbands" aggression toward wives correlated positively with mothers' and fathers' aggression toward boys but not toward girls.
The frequency and severity of interspousal aggression has
homes. Only mothers who reported that they had experienced at least one incident of physical marital aggression on the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS; Straus, 1979, described below) during the past 12 months were included in this study- Thirty of the mothers presented at an agency in Suffolk County, New York, and 43 of the mothers presented at an agency in Harris County, Texas. In cases where mothers had more than one child in the age range of 5-16 years, data on the youngest child in this age range were used. Forty mothers reported on aggression toward sons (M = 8.7 years; SD - 2.7), and 33 mothers reported on aggression toward daughters (M = 7.7 years; SD = 2.2). The mean income for families was approximately $18,000. Mothers completed measures of physical marital aggression and parental physical aggression as part of a larger assessment battery. Questionnaires were administered by a volunteer at the agency from which the mother had requested services. As compensation for their participation, mothers were offered confidential feedback on the information they provided during the assessment. The CTS was used to measure husbands' aggression toward wives. Items on the CTS that assess husbands' physical aggression include the following: threw something at wife; pushed, grabbed, or shoved wife; slapped wife; kicked, bit, or hit wife with fist; hit or tried to hit wife with something; beat wife up; threatened wife with a knife or gun; used a knife or fired a gun. Mothers indicated the frequency of occurrence for each item on a 7-point scale ranging from never to more than 20 times in the past year. Although agreement between spouses on the occurrence of individual items is low (Jouriles & O'Leary, 1985), the CTS has adequate internal consistency (Straus, 1979) and correlates with a variety of hypothesized outcomes of marital aggression (Straus etal., 1980). The parent-child version of the CTS (P-CTS; Straus, 1979) was used to assess parental aggression toward children. Items on the P-CTS that measure physical aggression toward children are similar to those described for the conjugal CTS. Each mother indicated the frequency with which she and the child's father performed each of the aggressive acts against the child during the year prior to the assessment. Frequencies were indicated on a 6-point scale ranging from did not occur to occurred more than once a month. The P-CTS correlates significantly with child behaviors that are hypothesized outcomes of parent-child aggression (Jouriles et al., 1987).
been found to covary with the frequency and severity of parental aggression toward children (Jouriles, Barling, & O'Leary, 1987; Stewart & duBlois, 1981; Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz, 1980). Theory generated from clinical observations indicates that child gender moderates the association between husbands' aggression toward wives and mothers' aggression toward children. For example, O'Leary (1984) has suggested a displacement hypothesis in which maritally distressed mothers strike out more often at sons than at daughters because sons remind mothers of their husbands. Conversely, daughters may remind mothers of themselves, not deservingof harsh punishment. Empirical data consistent with these hypotheses indicate that divorced mothers deliver more negative commands and sanctions to sons than to daughters (Hetherington, Cox, & Cox, 1978). The present research assesses the role of child gender in moderating the association between husbands' aggression toward wives and parental aggression toward children. We predicted that the association between husbands' aggression toward wives and mothers' aggression toward children would be stronger for male children than for female children. The association between husbands' aggression toward wives and fathers' aggression toward sons and daughters was also assessed; however, no predictions were offered. Method Subjects were 73 mothers, each with at least one child between 5 and 16 years of age. All mothers had requested either counseling, shelter, or both at an agency offering services to women from maritally aggressive
We wish to thank Suzanne Thompson, Annette Farris, Nannette Stephens, Renee McDonald, John Vincent, and Robin Sato for their helpful comments concerning this research. We also wish to thank Martha Wray and her staff at Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk County, Sylvia Guthrie and her staff at Supportive Outreach Services, and Margie McCoskey and her staff at the Bridge for their assistance in data collection. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ernest N. Jouriles, Department of Psychology, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun, Houston, Texas 77204.
Results Means and standard deviations for the measures of husbands' aggression toward wives and parent-child aggression
190
BRIEF REPORTS Table 1 Means and Standard Deviations for Measures of Family Aggression Families of boys (f i - 40) Type of aggression
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
Husbands' aggression toward wives* Mothers" aggression toward children" Fathers' aggression toward children"
Families of girls (" = 33)
M
SD
M
SD
24.6
11.3
25.5
12.1
4.0
4.2
3.4
3.8
5.7
7.3
3.9
5.2
• Scores on the conjugal Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) can range from 7 to 56. Higher scores indicate more frequent marital aggression. "Scores on the parent-child version of the CTS (P-CTS) can range from 0 to 48. Higher scores indicate more frequent parental aggression.
are presented in Table 1 . Between-groups / tests indicated no significant differences between families reporting on boys and families reporting on girls on any of the family aggression measures. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to assess whether
191
sion displace some of the anger they feel toward their husbands onto their male children (O'Leary, 1984). Although a displacement hypothesis is one possible explanation of why mothers who experience marital aggression act aggressively toward their sons, alternative hypotheses can account for the findings regarding both mothers' and fathers' aggression toward children. One explanation stems from research indicating that boys intervene in their parents' marital conflicts more often than do girls (Jenkins, Smith, & Graham, 1989; Vuchinich, Emery, & Cassidy, 1988). Marital conflict and factors that often accompany it (e.g., negative parental affect) have been repeatedly hypothesized to increase the immediate risk for parental aggression toward children (Patterson, 1982; Wolfe, 1987). By intervening in marital conflicts, boys may be increasing the likelihood of experiencing parental aggression during or shortly after the conflictual marital interaction. Another explanation focuses on the role of sociocultural factors. Several theorists have suggested that in the United States it is commonly accepted that boys should be "toughened up" during childhood (Straus et al., 1980). In families characterized by relatively high levels of husbands' aggression toward wives, the notion that boys should be toughened up may be more widely accepted, and parental aggression may be the vehicle by which boys are toughened up. A third explanation comes from research suggesting that marital aggression predicts conduct problems better for boys than for girls (Jouriles, Murphy, & O'Leary, 1989). In
child gender moderated the association between husbands' marital aggression and mothers' and fathers' aggression toward children. In each regression analysis, husbands' aggression toward wives, child gender, and child age were entered into the
turn, conduct problems are associated with parental aggression (see Kelly, 1983, for a review). It is possible that in homes characterized by high levels of husbands' aggression toward wives,
equation first as a block, and the Husbands' Aggression x Child
consequently, are more likely to experience parental aggression.
Gender interaction was entered second. As indicated in Table 2, the Husbands' Aggression Toward Wives x Child Gender interaction contributed significant unique variance to the pre-
Thus, the level of child conduct problems, as opposed to the gender of the child, may be responsible for the moderating effects observed in the present study.
diction of mothers' aggression toward children, F(4, 68) = 4. 16, p < .05, increment in R2 = .06, as well as to the prediction of fathers' aggression toward children, F(4, 68) = 4.73, p < .05, increment in R2 = .06. To clarify the nature of the Husbands' Aggression Toward
The present data need to be viewed cautiously because the results are based only on mothers' reports of family aggression. It is possible that mothers who experience severe and repeated marital aggression report parental aggression toward sons and daughters in a biased manner. Furthermore, the use of a single
Wives X Child Gender interaction, Pearson correlations were
rater may have inflated the degree of association between hus-
computed between husbands' aggression toward wives and parental aggression toward boys versus girls. Husbands' aggres-
bands' aggression toward wives and mothers' and fathers' ag-
male children are more likely to exhibit conduct problems and,
sion toward wives correlated significantly with mothers' aggression toward boys, r(38) = .32, p < .05, but not toward girls,
Table 2
r(31) = —.15, p > .10. Similarly, husbands' aggression toward wives predicted fathers* aggression toward boys, r(38) = .32, p
Copyright 1991 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 0022-006X/9I/S100
Husbands' Aggression Toward Wives and Mothers' and Fathers' Aggression Toward Children: Moderating Effects of Child Gender Ernest N. Jouriles and Stephanie H. LeCompte
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
University of Houston
This study assesses the role of child gender in moderating the association between husbands' aggression toward wives and parental aggression toward children. Participants were 73 mothers who experienced at least one incident of marital aggression during the past 12 months. Each mother had a child between 5 and 16 years of age. Hierarchical regression analyses indicate that the Husbands' Aggression Toward Wives X Child Gender interaction contributed unique variance to the prediction of both mothers'and fathers'aggression toward children after husbands'aggression toward wives, child gender, and child age were controlled. Pearson correlations indicate that husbands" aggression toward wives correlated positively with mothers' and fathers' aggression toward boys but not toward girls.
The frequency and severity of interspousal aggression has
homes. Only mothers who reported that they had experienced at least one incident of physical marital aggression on the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS; Straus, 1979, described below) during the past 12 months were included in this study- Thirty of the mothers presented at an agency in Suffolk County, New York, and 43 of the mothers presented at an agency in Harris County, Texas. In cases where mothers had more than one child in the age range of 5-16 years, data on the youngest child in this age range were used. Forty mothers reported on aggression toward sons (M = 8.7 years; SD - 2.7), and 33 mothers reported on aggression toward daughters (M = 7.7 years; SD = 2.2). The mean income for families was approximately $18,000. Mothers completed measures of physical marital aggression and parental physical aggression as part of a larger assessment battery. Questionnaires were administered by a volunteer at the agency from which the mother had requested services. As compensation for their participation, mothers were offered confidential feedback on the information they provided during the assessment. The CTS was used to measure husbands' aggression toward wives. Items on the CTS that assess husbands' physical aggression include the following: threw something at wife; pushed, grabbed, or shoved wife; slapped wife; kicked, bit, or hit wife with fist; hit or tried to hit wife with something; beat wife up; threatened wife with a knife or gun; used a knife or fired a gun. Mothers indicated the frequency of occurrence for each item on a 7-point scale ranging from never to more than 20 times in the past year. Although agreement between spouses on the occurrence of individual items is low (Jouriles & O'Leary, 1985), the CTS has adequate internal consistency (Straus, 1979) and correlates with a variety of hypothesized outcomes of marital aggression (Straus etal., 1980). The parent-child version of the CTS (P-CTS; Straus, 1979) was used to assess parental aggression toward children. Items on the P-CTS that measure physical aggression toward children are similar to those described for the conjugal CTS. Each mother indicated the frequency with which she and the child's father performed each of the aggressive acts against the child during the year prior to the assessment. Frequencies were indicated on a 6-point scale ranging from did not occur to occurred more than once a month. The P-CTS correlates significantly with child behaviors that are hypothesized outcomes of parent-child aggression (Jouriles et al., 1987).
been found to covary with the frequency and severity of parental aggression toward children (Jouriles, Barling, & O'Leary, 1987; Stewart & duBlois, 1981; Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz, 1980). Theory generated from clinical observations indicates that child gender moderates the association between husbands' aggression toward wives and mothers' aggression toward children. For example, O'Leary (1984) has suggested a displacement hypothesis in which maritally distressed mothers strike out more often at sons than at daughters because sons remind mothers of their husbands. Conversely, daughters may remind mothers of themselves, not deservingof harsh punishment. Empirical data consistent with these hypotheses indicate that divorced mothers deliver more negative commands and sanctions to sons than to daughters (Hetherington, Cox, & Cox, 1978). The present research assesses the role of child gender in moderating the association between husbands' aggression toward wives and parental aggression toward children. We predicted that the association between husbands' aggression toward wives and mothers' aggression toward children would be stronger for male children than for female children. The association between husbands' aggression toward wives and fathers' aggression toward sons and daughters was also assessed; however, no predictions were offered. Method Subjects were 73 mothers, each with at least one child between 5 and 16 years of age. All mothers had requested either counseling, shelter, or both at an agency offering services to women from maritally aggressive
We wish to thank Suzanne Thompson, Annette Farris, Nannette Stephens, Renee McDonald, John Vincent, and Robin Sato for their helpful comments concerning this research. We also wish to thank Martha Wray and her staff at Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk County, Sylvia Guthrie and her staff at Supportive Outreach Services, and Margie McCoskey and her staff at the Bridge for their assistance in data collection. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ernest N. Jouriles, Department of Psychology, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun, Houston, Texas 77204.
Results Means and standard deviations for the measures of husbands' aggression toward wives and parent-child aggression
190
BRIEF REPORTS Table 1 Means and Standard Deviations for Measures of Family Aggression Families of boys (f i - 40) Type of aggression
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
Husbands' aggression toward wives* Mothers" aggression toward children" Fathers' aggression toward children"
Families of girls (" = 33)
M
SD
M
SD
24.6
11.3
25.5
12.1
4.0
4.2
3.4
3.8
5.7
7.3
3.9
5.2
• Scores on the conjugal Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) can range from 7 to 56. Higher scores indicate more frequent marital aggression. "Scores on the parent-child version of the CTS (P-CTS) can range from 0 to 48. Higher scores indicate more frequent parental aggression.
are presented in Table 1 . Between-groups / tests indicated no significant differences between families reporting on boys and families reporting on girls on any of the family aggression measures. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to assess whether
191
sion displace some of the anger they feel toward their husbands onto their male children (O'Leary, 1984). Although a displacement hypothesis is one possible explanation of why mothers who experience marital aggression act aggressively toward their sons, alternative hypotheses can account for the findings regarding both mothers' and fathers' aggression toward children. One explanation stems from research indicating that boys intervene in their parents' marital conflicts more often than do girls (Jenkins, Smith, & Graham, 1989; Vuchinich, Emery, & Cassidy, 1988). Marital conflict and factors that often accompany it (e.g., negative parental affect) have been repeatedly hypothesized to increase the immediate risk for parental aggression toward children (Patterson, 1982; Wolfe, 1987). By intervening in marital conflicts, boys may be increasing the likelihood of experiencing parental aggression during or shortly after the conflictual marital interaction. Another explanation focuses on the role of sociocultural factors. Several theorists have suggested that in the United States it is commonly accepted that boys should be "toughened up" during childhood (Straus et al., 1980). In families characterized by relatively high levels of husbands' aggression toward wives, the notion that boys should be toughened up may be more widely accepted, and parental aggression may be the vehicle by which boys are toughened up. A third explanation comes from research suggesting that marital aggression predicts conduct problems better for boys than for girls (Jouriles, Murphy, & O'Leary, 1989). In
child gender moderated the association between husbands' marital aggression and mothers' and fathers' aggression toward children. In each regression analysis, husbands' aggression toward wives, child gender, and child age were entered into the
turn, conduct problems are associated with parental aggression (see Kelly, 1983, for a review). It is possible that in homes characterized by high levels of husbands' aggression toward wives,
equation first as a block, and the Husbands' Aggression x Child
consequently, are more likely to experience parental aggression.
Gender interaction was entered second. As indicated in Table 2, the Husbands' Aggression Toward Wives x Child Gender interaction contributed significant unique variance to the pre-
Thus, the level of child conduct problems, as opposed to the gender of the child, may be responsible for the moderating effects observed in the present study.
diction of mothers' aggression toward children, F(4, 68) = 4. 16, p < .05, increment in R2 = .06, as well as to the prediction of fathers' aggression toward children, F(4, 68) = 4.73, p < .05, increment in R2 = .06. To clarify the nature of the Husbands' Aggression Toward
The present data need to be viewed cautiously because the results are based only on mothers' reports of family aggression. It is possible that mothers who experience severe and repeated marital aggression report parental aggression toward sons and daughters in a biased manner. Furthermore, the use of a single
Wives X Child Gender interaction, Pearson correlations were
rater may have inflated the degree of association between hus-
computed between husbands' aggression toward wives and parental aggression toward boys versus girls. Husbands' aggres-
bands' aggression toward wives and mothers' and fathers' ag-
male children are more likely to exhibit conduct problems and,
sion toward wives correlated significantly with mothers' aggression toward boys, r(38) = .32, p < .05, but not toward girls,
Table 2
r(31) = —.15, p > .10. Similarly, husbands' aggression toward wives predicted fathers* aggression toward boys, r(38) = .32, p
