Violence in close relationships-development of a research area: Comment onArcher (2000)

A brief history of empirical research on violence in close relationships is presented. Assumptions of and conclusions made by feminist researchers abo ut the problems of battered wives are reviewed. It is argued that their foc us on marital violence as a form of aggression against women by men and the ir concern for severely beaten wives may have caused them to ignore high le vels of female violence in marriage and dating. J. Archer's (2000) meta-ana lysis of studies of marital and dating violence showed that both sexes disp lay violence in these relationships, although women are more likely to be i njured. An expansion of Archer's definition of heterosexual violence (or vi olence in close relationships) to include sexual aggression and stalking is suggested. Reasons for relatively high levels of female violence in close relationships relative to violence toward strangers are briefly discussed. It is argued that more attention needs to be given to male victims of viole nce from their partners.