The purpose of this research study was to examine gender differences with regard to domestic violence and if having been a victim of domestic violence or witnessing it at a young age has any influence on the probability of becoming a perpetrator of domestic violence or a victim of it later in life. Previous research has narrowly identified males as aggressors of domestic violence and has failed to identify females as a domestic violence perpetrator outside of the realm of self-defense (Kernsmith, 2006). The study seeks to discover if having been a female victim of abuse or a witness thereof has any influence on the propensity to behave violently in familial or dating relationships.
Study Design
The design of the study was cross-sectional and represented a multitude of demographics from across Los Angeles County. The culturally diverse group of participants ensured the data collected would remain bias free. Administered by a facilitator who read the questions aloud, each participant answered the same questions simultaneously. According to Kernsmith (2006), “Both the Los Angeles Probation Department and General Campus Human Subject Protection Committee approved these procedures prior to beginning the study” (p. 166)
Operational Definition
The administered questionnaire contained questions that would elicit direct responses regarding the witnessing of domestic violence during childhood, being a victim of abuse, or a victim of physical domestic violence. Questions also inquired about the level of fear felt in a relationship, whether they had experience abuse in prior relationships, and if they were a victim of sexual assault. Male and female participants answered the same questions, providing further proof that domestic violence is not limited to violence perpetrated by males alone.
Few studies have examined the factors that mediate the relationship between