Assessment of violence in intimate relationships by means of the Conflict Tactics Scales: factor structure and gender differences in youngsters

In this study the factor structure of the Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2) was assessed in a sample of 1130 university students. Factor analyses confirmed the original five-factor structure (negotiation, physical assault, psychological abuse, sexual coercion, and injury) for victimization. The results for perpetration were partial, because the injury scale was dropped due to the lack of positive answers to most of the items in the scale. Results showed differences by gender in prevalence and annual frequencies for violent acts. Women showed higher scores in perpetration as well as in victimization and a higher percentage of women reported having used physical violence against their male partners. On the other hand, regarding sexual violence, the pattern reversed and women were more often than men victims of this type of violence.