PATHWAYS TO AGGRESSION - A FACTORIAL SURVEY OF ROUTINE CONFLICT

Based on data collected in 1994 from a factorial survey of 2052 respon dents, this paper examines how routine conflict may escalate into aggr ession taking into account social context and characteristics of the v ictim and offender. Following Luckenbill and Doyle's (1989) suggestion , we developed a series of scenarios to examine the influence of struc tural position on the emergence of disputes and the legitimation of ag gression. The analysis reveals a direct relationship between the inten sity of an attack with the emergence of a dispute and the legitimation of aggression. Results indicate that situational aspects of structura l position do not extend beyond sex differences. This emphasizes the g eneralizing effect of male on male confrontation in the legitimation o f aggression. The strengths and limitations of scenario-based research for understanding violence in society are discussed.