TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1992//
TI  - The myth of sexual symmetry in marital violence
JO  - Social problems
A1  - Dobash, Russell P.
A1  - Dobash, R. Emerson
A1  - Wilson, Margo
A1  - Daly, Martin
SP  - 71
EP  - 91
VL  - 39
IS  - 1
N2  - A currently fashionable claim is that violence against husbands is about as prevalent as violence against wives; spousal violence has been said to be symmetrical in its extent, severity, intentions, motivational contexts, and even its consequences. The evidence for this alleged symmetry derives from two sources: (1) surveys employing the "Conflict Tactics Scales" (CTS), a checklist of self-reported "acts" perpetrated or experienced, and (2) U.S. homicide data. We criticize the claim of sexual symmetry by reviewing other contradictory survey evidence; by showing that the CTS provides an account of marital violence that is neither reliable nor valid; and by demonstrating that the sexual symmetry of spousal homicide victimization does not reflect sexually symmetrical motivation or action-and is in any case peculiar to the United States. Confining self-report data to a checklist of acts, devoid of motives, meanings and consequences cannot insure objectivity, validity or an adequate development of theory to explain violence.<p /> 
LA  - 
SN  - 0037-7791
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/sp.1992.39.1.03x0064l
ID  - ref1
ER  -