DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, PERSONAL CONTROL, AND GENDER

Research on perpetrators of domestic violence suggests that acts of vi olence may result from feelings of low personal central. Research on v ictims suggests that domestic violence may undermine feelings of perso nal control. Using a national sample, we consider how domestic violenc e is related to personal control. We find that individuals who have in itiated violence against a partner do not differ from individuals who have nonviolent relationships in feelings of personal control. However experiencing violence at the hands of a partner has significant adver se effects on a sense of personal control for women, but not for men. This suggests that violence, even when both the man and woman particip ate, is more detrimental to the self-perceptions and well-being of wom en than of men.