Is Strain to Blame for Dating Violence?

Background: Dating-partner violence appears common among college students, with such violence experienced by as many as 82% of those surveyed. In a large survey of 31 universities globally, an overall 29% rate of respondents reported perpetrating violence against their partners, with approximately 10% of that violence described as severe, such as inflicting choking. Personal developmental, life historical, and psychological factors have been evaluated as increasing the risk of perpetrating such violence. A feeling of unmet demands and sociocultural expectations, predicted by the so-called "strain theory" to be a potential risk factor for violence, might be especially heightened during college years. However, the role of "strain" has not been adequately studied in this regard, according to the authors of this study. Methods: Students at a Texas university responded to surveys that used structured questionnaires to capture their rated experience on a number of potential stressors using more...