3. MORE RESULTS
Relationship Status
Examination of data according to whether respondents were currently married
or cohabiting with a heterosexual partner, as opposed to being single and
dating, was possible. This showed that higher percentages of single dating
women reported sustaining victimization across all relationships than
married/cohabiting women, although rates of experience of sustained victimization
from current partners were more equivalent. On three of the five items across
all relationships, a higher percentage of single dating women than single
dating men reported
victimization.
Figure 1 shows that 10% of single women as opposed to 3% of married or cohabiting
women, report ever having experienced being punched or kicked and 14% of
single dating women, as opposed to 5% of married and cohabiting women, reported
being slapped. These were significant differences (P< .05) which
were not evident for reports in current relationships.
For men, no such difference was ascertained between the two relationship
status groups, although percentages tended to be higher for single men. For
example, 9% of single and dating men and 5% of married and cohabiting men
reported ever having been punched or kicked. A significantly higher percentage
of married and cohabiting men, than married and cohabiting women, reported
sustaining any item of inflicted victimization both in all and current
relationships (15% vs. 9%; 11% vs. 4%). Also there was a tendency for a higher
percentage of married or cohabiting men to report two or more acts of
victimization (e.g. current relationships 5% vs. 1%) whilst for single dating
individuals, two or more items of assault were reported almost equally (e.g.
current relationships 4% women vs. 3% men). An inference that may be drawn
is that women who were married or cohabiting at the time of the survey reported
less overall victimization on these items across all their relationships,
than single women report, whereas relationship status has little effect on
reported victimization for men whether married or cohabiting or single, but
dating.
Socio-economic Categories, Age and Geographical Region
Data were also analyzed by grouping respondents into two broad socioeconomic
categories (ABC1 and C2DE), by age in three categories (15-34, 35-54 and
55+), and according to three geographical regions (North, Midlands, South).
Reported incidences for any of the five acts of physical victimization is
shown in Table IV for these variables. Both for all relationships, and solely
in current relationships, sustained victimization was higher for the C2DE
category of socioeconomic class. Inflicted victimization admitted for any
act was, however, more equivalent between the two socioeconomic categories,
especially for women (ABC1 men 7%, women 10%; C2DE men 12%, women 12%). The
reported incidence of either sustained or inflicted victimization was highest
for the youngest age group and decreased with age. The percentages of men
and women reporting victimization varied by geographical region, with the
highest percentages of women reporting any act of victimization being women
in the Midlands for all relationships and women in the North for current
relationships. Men in the South were the most victimized men both for all
and current relationships.
TABLE IV. Relationship Status, Social Class, Age and Region*
|
All relationships |
Current relationships |
|
% Men |
% Women |
% Men |
% Women |
| Married/cohabiting |
15 |
9 |
11 |
4 |
| Single dating |
22 |
21 |
11 |
6 |
| ABC1 |
15 |
12 |
9 |
4 |
| C2DE |
20 |
14 |
13 |
5 |
| 15-34 |
25 |
21 |
16 |
6 |
| 35-54 |
18 |
12 |
12 |
5 |
| 55+ |
7 |
7 |
5 |
2 |
| North |
16 |
12 |
9 |
7 |
| Midlands |
18 |
17 |
12 |
5 |
| South |
19 |
13 |
13 |
2 |
| *The percentages of men and women identifying
any act of victimization across all or current relationships broken down
according to the categories of relationships status (married/cohabiting and
single dating), socioeconomic category (ABC1, C2DE), age, (15-34, 35-54,
55+), and geographical region of the UK (North, Midlands, South). Figures
are percentages of each individual subsample and sample sizes ranged between
600 and 295 for all relationships and between 557 and 170 for current
relationships. A difference of 5-8% or more for these sample sizes would
indicate a statistically significant difference (5% level). |
When the total sample was broken down into the categories of relationship
status, socioeconomic category, age and geographical region, disparities
in item victimization were seen in these subsamples as compared to the data
for men and women as a whole. For instance, while overall significantly more
men than women reported being slapped, women in the Midlands across all
relationships reported being slapped almost equally to Midland men (11% vs.
12%). In current relationships, however more men in the Midlands reported
this item of victimization (10% vs. 4%) in line with the overall male/female
pattern. Another example of disparity is seen for the item "punched or kicked."
Marginally more single dating women and women aged 15-34, than single dating
men or men aged 15-34, reported this act of victimization across all
relationships (10% vs. 9% in both cases).
Context and Reason
Table V shows the numbers and percentages of men and women who identified
each of the "contexts or reasons" for both victimization sustained or inflicted
in all relationships. These figures are derived from only those individuals
who identified having sustained or inflicted an act of physical victimization.
TABLE V. Attributions for "Reason and Context"*
|
Victimization sustained |
Victimization inflicted |
|
Women (%) |
Men (%) |
Women(%) |
Men(%) |
|
|
130(13) |
155(18) |
106(11) |
85(10) |
Total experiencing/committing |
| A |
37(32) |
66(43) |
57(53) |
54(64) |
"Get through to...." |
| B |
37(32) |
68(44) |
55(52) |
45(53) |
"Something said or threatened..." |
| C |
16(12) |
13(8) |
22(21) |
23(27) |
"Some physical action..." |
| D |
38(29) |
57(37) |
35(33) |
39(43) |
"Stop doing something..." |
| E |
66(51) |
66(43) |
28(26) |
22(26) |
"Make do something..." |
| F |
13(10) |
10(7) |
18(17) |
18(21) |
"About to use physical action..." |
| G |
58(45) |
48(31) |
14(13) |
30(35) |
"Influence of alcohol etc..." |
| H |
57(44) |
49(31) |
17(16) |
23(27) |
"In Character..." |
| Other |
15(11) |
9(6) |
13(12) |
6(7) |
|
| *Attributions for "reason and context" for partner's
actions by those men and women who sustained any physical assault (victimization
sustained) or inflicted any physical assault against a partner (victimization
inflicted) in all relationships. A-H represent "context or reasons" asked
and are detailed in Materials and Methods. "Other" represents abrogated total
for "other", "no particular reason", and "don't know" responses. Numbers
of men and women (and percentage of male/female subsample) are given, along
with figures for total numbers expressed as a percentage of whole male or
female populations. |
Table V shows that male and female respondents choose somewhat different
contexts most frequently for their partners' victimization of them as against
for their victimization of their partners. Women victims choose "making me
do something he wanted" most frequently, but also reason that it was either
as a result of their partner being "under the influence of alcohol" or it
is "in his character". Men also chose "being made to do something their partner
wanted" frequently, but almost equally identify their partner responding
to "something said or threatened" or their partner needing to "get through
to them". For inflicted victimization, both men and women choose these latter
two reasons most prevalently, although men also admit slightly more than
women aggressing "to stop their partner doing something". They also choose
more frequently to context their aggression to the influence of alcohol,
mirroring what women victims say about aggressing males' use or abuse of
alcohol.
Two specific item options (C,F) available to respondents under these "context
and reasons" for victimization or perpetration were formulated to present
"self-defense or retaliation" options to respondents without directly signaling
this intent in the wording. Both sexes attributed more of these contexts
and reasons that could include "self defense or retaliation" to their own
actions rather than for partners' actions, although acts by partners in
"self-defense or retaliation" were acknowledged by both sexes. Men attributed
such reasons slightly less to their partners and slightly more to their own
actions than women attributed likewise. For women respondents, of 106 who
identified any item of inflicted victimization against a partner, 22(21%)
and 18 (17%), respectively, identified these two "context and reasons" for
their aggression. Thus a lower percentage of aggressing women reported these
two reasons than any other reason, except for ascribing that their aggression
was either the result of the influence of alcohol (G 13%) or inherent in
their character (H, 16%) or giving other non-specified reasons. Variable
percentages of respondents, when identifying the particular items of physical
assault, identified these two reasons for their actions. Notably, however,
even at the potentially most serious level of assault only one woman in three
identified these reasons as the "context or reason" to their aggression.
